Shattered Memories
by Crimson-Moon-Beams
Summary: Ayane Kikuchi, Kitsuchi Fure and Sutaru Sunake all live with pasts they wish to leave behind by living in Konohagakure. With new fights and new love interests around every corner will these three kunoichi finally be able to forget their Shattered Memories
1. Prologue: Our Arrival

**Shattered Memories**

**Prologue**

**Our Arrival**

We had been traveling for days. We were completely exhausted. We had been running through the forest for hours and soon dawn's first light would shine through the canopies of the trees. I looked back behind me to see Sutaru slightly wavering and Kitsuchi forcing her eyes open. I stopped and they did the same.

"What's wrong Ayane?" Kitsuchi asked before a loud yawn crossed her lips. Her silver eyes were bloodshot and black underneath from lack of sleep.

"Nothing, but I think we should stop and get some sleep."

"No really, we're ok, let's just keep going." Sutaru added in.

"But guys look at us! We're practically falling over ourselves, our eyes are black and bloodshot, and not to mention the fact that our reflexes are also weakest when we're tired. If we keep going like this and get attacked we'll have no chance." Sutaru and Kitsuchi stared at the ground. I sighed.

"Please guys, just a couple of hours. I promise we won't stop until we get there after that." They both looked up at me and smiled.

"Alright fine, but where are we going to sleep?" Kitsuchi asked. I looked around and smiled and pointed up.

"Where better to stay then up in the trees? They're tall and are very well protected." Sutaru and Kitsuchi smiled at me and together we jumped to the top of the largest tree we could find. When we were up high enough where we couldn't be seen from below we all sat. Sutaru yawned causing a chain reaction that forced me to yawn then Kitsuchi.

"Alright, we'll take turns keeping watch. I nominate myself to take first watch."

"I want second." Sutaru quickly demanded. Kitsuchi sighed.

"Fine, then I guess I'll take third."

"Ok, we'll wake the next watch up every two hours. After all three of us have had our turn at watch, we'll start out again."

"But that's six hours! I thought you said we were only going to stay for a couple of hours!" Kitsuchi glared at me.

"Kitsuchi we need the sleep and you know it, now both of you go to sleep while I find the perfect spot to keep watch." Kitsuchi continued to glare then sighed. She pulled her bag under her head and soon you could hear her shallow breaths. She was fast asleep. Sutaru smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Don't stay up for all six hours Ayane. Come and wake us up when it's our turn."

"Don't worry Sutaru. I'll keep my promise and wake you up." Sutaru smiled at me one last time before she too drifted off to sleep. My stomach started to growl slightly. I pulled out my last piece of bread and broke a quarter off of it and stuffed it in my mouth. The taste of dry bread was becoming very sickly to my taste buds and I couldn't wait until I could have a nice piece of fruit or meat again. I went a couple of branches lower so that I could see the ground properly. Nothing was there. I leaned against the tree and waited, refusing to close my eyes for fear of falling asleep.

After my two hours were up I jumped back up to where Sutaru was sleeping peacefully. I shook her slightly and her bright green eyes opened.

"Your turn Sutaru." Sutaru yawned and nodded. Even though she only got two hours she looked completely well again. I couldn't wait to see what a full night's sleep would do for all of us. I lied down and soon, I too, was fast asleep.

-Sutaru-

I watched closely as Ayane slowly fell asleep. I smiled to myself and jumped down to the branch. The forest was so quiet and peaceful. It was hard to believe anything could happen here. I tensed as I heard a twig crack but relaxed as a small squirrel ran from under a bush, followed closely by a hungry fox. I couldn't stand not being able to help the poor thing, but I had to keep my watch.

As the minutes drove on I became quite bored. Two hours of sleep and I had so much energy that I couldn't use. I took my carrying case out of my backpack and opened it. All my kunai and shurikan were still there. I pulled one out that still had some blood on it. Living basically in the forest meant that we needed food and the only way to get that was to live off the land. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the animals I had to kill so we could eat. I pulled out a cloth from my bag and wiped the dried blood from it. Once I was done the kunai shined in the faint moonlight. I stared at the small clock that we had set up. Only half an hour left and then it would be Kitsuchi's turn.

After what felt like another hour the half an hour was finally up and I packed away my things. I jumped back up to the branch. I walked over to Kitsuchi and shook her slightly. She jumped up and pulled out a kunai. I did the same and blocked her attack.

"Kitsuchi calm down! It's only me." I whispered. Kitsuchi pulled her kunai back.

"Sorry." She whispered back. I smiled and she smiled back. We stood and stared at Ayane. She was still fast asleep. Though she never showed it, she was just as exhausted as we were.

"Your turn." Kitsuchi smiled.

"Alright, have a good sleep."

"Have a good watch." Kitsuchi chuckled and jumped down to the branch. I pulled my pack up and eagerly awaited the extra two hours of sleep.

-Kitsuchi-

I made it down to the branch. I felt bad for attacking Sutaru but, just like Ayane, they both knew how on edge I always was. Ayane was the same but she was able to let loose easier then I could. I stared down at the quiet ground. I had a feeling that this was going to be a very boring two hours. So to keep myself busy I decided it would be a good time to polish my twin crescent moon blades. I pulled them both out and began to polish them. They glowed slightly from the light falling from the crescent moon above me and I smiled. The fading moonlight always made me feel happy.

I stared at the clock after I had finished polishing my swords. I still had a good hour left before my turn would be over. I sighed. There wasn't really anything else I could think of to do. I tensed as I heard faint footsteps sound beneath me. I pulled out a kunai and prepared to strike if I had to. Out of the bushes came a small wolf. I stared at it waiting for something to happen but the wolf just continued on its way into the forest. I sighed and turned back around tensing again as I saw the one thing in this world I never wanted to see again. It was tall and was wearing a black cloak that had red clouds on it. It was also wearing a straw hat that concealed its face. I sat completely still hoping that it hadn't seen me yet. I blinked once and suddenly the figure was gone.

I looked around but it was nowhere to be found. I put my hand up to my head. I must have been seeing things. I looked over at the clock and it showed that my two hours had miraculously gone and it was time to leave. I took one quick look around. When I couldn't see anything or anyone I jumped back up to where Sutaru and Ayane were sleeping soundly.

-Ayane-

I felt a small shake on my shoulder and slowly opened my eyes. The sun was slowly coming over the horizon and Sutaru and Kitsuchi were smiling down at me.

"Morning." They both said in unison. I smiled.

"Morning. How were the watches?"

"Good." Sutaru quickly said. Kitsuchi hesitated but then answered.

"Alright." I smiled and stood up.

"Well I guess we better go then."

"Finally." Kitsuchi smiled. I laughed.

"Just let me go up and see if there's anything other then forest ahead of us." Sutaru and Kitsuchi nodded. I jumped up to the very top of the tree. I looked to the East then to the West. There was nothing there but forest. However, when I turned to the North a wide smile crossed my face in the distance my eyes caught the huge, bright red gates of the Konohagakure. I jumped back down to Kitsuchi and Sutaru as fast as I could. They stared at me worried until they saw the smile on my face.

"I saw it!" Their eyes widened.

"You did?!" Kitsuchi exclaimed.

"Yeah! It was there, the bright red gates and everything!" We all smiled and hugged each other.

"How long do you figure it will take us to get there?" Sutaru questioned. I stood back and thought about it.

"Well, if we run our fastest it will take two hours. If we run at the speed we've been going at it will take three maybe four hours tops." We looked at each other.

"I think we should go at our usual pace. If we use up all of our energy on the way there and get attacked before we can enter we won't have as much strength as needed to defend ourselves." I nodded in agreement with Sutaru.

"Sutaru does have a point but what if we get attacked because we take so long to get there? If we get there as quickly as possible we have less of a chance of being attacked." I nodded as Kitsuchi had a point as well. Kitsuchi and Sutaru started debating over how quickly we should arrive. I stood and thought for awhile.

"I've got it!" I exclaimed. Sutaru and Kitsuchi stared at me.

"If we run faster then we usually do, but slower then our fastest speed then we'll be able to make it to the village in two and a half maybe three hours." Kitsuchi and Sutaru stared at me and smiled and soon we were on our way.

Like I had said it took us a little over two hours when we finally arrived at the red gates. I turned to look at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. We smiled at each other and hugged. It was now time to make our stand.

"It's finally time for our arrival!" We exclaimed and laughed.


	2. Chapter 1: Ayane and Kitsuchi's Trouble

**Chapter One**

**Ayane and Kitsuchi's Trouble**

Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I headed up to the front gate of Konohagakure. We all tensed and jumped back pulling out our kunai and forming into a battle stance as one of the gate's guards jumped down to us.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." The shinobi looked like he was in his mid-twenties and had the Konoha headband on his forehead. He smiled at us. We put our kunai away and relaxed.

"It's ok." I replied. He continued to smile and put his hand through his brown hair.

"So how can I help you ladies?" He asked.

"We're travelers looking to join Konoha as ninjas." The shinobi looked us up and down.

"Very well, if that's the case then you must come with me and meet with the Hokage."

"Hokage?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Yes the Hokage, or fire shadow, is the leader of this village. In order to become civilians here and attend the ninja academy you must speak with him first." I nodded and the shinobi brought us to the front of the gate.

"Open up!" The gate slowly opened and we were all led into the village. The village was beautiful. The houses were all quaint and there was a huge mountain with faces carved into it that were covered in paint.

"What's that?" I asked pointing towards the mountain.

"That is the memorial set up for our Hokage. Every Hokage that has ever led the people of this village has had his or her face carved into the mountain. Unfortunately, one of the kids of the village, Naruto, thinks it's funny to vandalize our village heroes." The Shinobi took a deep breath. I could tell that this Naruto kid had him completely ticked.

"See the face third from the left?" He suddenly asked. I looked up to where he

was pointing and nodded my head.

"That is the third Hokage. He's the leader of the village right now. He's the one you'll be talking to as soon as we arrive." I slowed down a bit to walk next to Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

"So what do you guys think?" I asked.

"I like it here. It's well protected by that wall and the houses are pretty nice." Sutaru replied.

"Yeah I like it here. I hope we can stay here longer then we usually do." I nodded.

"Since you are new here how 'bout I show you girls some sights?" We all nodded and smiled. He smiled back.

"Well on your right is the Ichiraku ramen shop. It has the best and only ramen in the village. Over there is the ninja academy where you'll be training to become ninja. Back behind there is the ninja memorial stone where all the ninja that sacrificed themselves to defeat the enemies of this village are remembered." The shinobi continued to talk but I was too busy staring at everything to even bother paying attention. Suddenly we stopped walking and I bumped into Kitsuchi. She smiled at me and I put my hand behind my head and smiled slightly embarrassed back.

"This is the entrance to the Hokage's study. All you need to do is head up the spiraling staircase until you reach the door at the top. Then just knock and wait to be welcomed in." We nodded and thanked the shinobi for helping us around. He saluted us and then disappeared. We began to climb the staircase. After we were half way there we stopped. Kitsuchi stretched.

"There goes that four hours of sleep." Sutaru laughed.

"Wow Kitsuchi I didn't think that you were that out of shape." Kitsuchi glared at her.

"I'm not out of shape!"

"Calm down I was just kidding." I stepped in between them.

"Alright you two calm down, we're trying to make a good first impression remember?" They both sighed and nodded in agreement. We headed back up the stairs until we finally came to the door the shinobi was talking about. We knocked and waited.

"Come in." An old voice sounded from the other side. We all walked in and found an old man sitting at his desk smoking a pipe. He looked up at us and smiled.

"Hello, for a second I thought you were more people coming in to complain about Naruto." We shook our heads. "Well please sit down." He signaled to a stack of chairs in the corner. We grabbed a chair and sat down.

"Now I have some questions that need to be answered. That doesn't bother you does it?"

"No." We replied in unison. He smiled at us.

"Alright then, first of all I need you to introduce yourselves. Please state your names and ages." We looked at each other and smiled.

"Ayane Kikuchi and I'm twelve years old."

"Kitsuchi Fure. I'm also twelve."

"Sutaru Sunake. Twelve years old." He smiled at us.

"Very well, nice to meet you all. Now do you have any preferences of where you'd like to live?"

"A three bedroom apartment should be good enough." I replied.

"And it needs at least two bathrooms." Sutaru added in.

"And a big kitchen and low rent." Kitsuchi stated. The Hokage smiled.

"Well I think we have the perfect house for you three and don't worry about rent, there isn't any." We smiled.

"Good." I muttered under my breath.

"Now that leaves only two more questions. Are you planning on joining the ninja academy and if you are when would you like to join?"

"We'd love to join." I replied.

"And if we could-" Sutaru began.

"As soon as possible." Kitsuchi finished. The Hokage laughed.

"Very well. Just give me a moment." The Hokage stood up and went over to a safe. He opened it and pulled out a key. He then came back over and sat down, handed us the key and I took it.

"This is the key to your new home. As for the ninja academy I'll send for an escort to take you there." We stood as he did. We all bowed to each other and thanked him for his hospitality. He called for another shinobi escort. The shinobi came quickly and stared at us without smiling.

"Follow me." He demanded. We looked at him and followed.

We made it back to the ninja academy and he led us to the front door of our class. We could hear yelling on the other side.

"Here's your class. Just give me one second." He slid the door open and went inside, closing the door behind him. We all looked at each other and waited. Suddenly the shinobi came back out with another ninja. The ninja had light brown hair tied back into a spiked up ponytail. He had a scar going across his nose and he had kind eyes. He smiled down at us and the other shinobi left.

"So you're the new kids huh?" We nodded.

"Yes we are." I replied.

"Alright, well my name is Iruka Umino and I'll be your teacher for now. Please follow me and you can introduce yourselves to the class."

"Man what is with this village and introductions?" Kitsuchi asked. I smiled. We followed Iruka into the class. All eyes fell on us and we stared at a kid with spiky blond hair and an orange jumpsuit tied up on the floor. We decided to ignore him and stared back without much emotion. We stood in front of the class while Iruka explained how we were the new students and that we were to be treated with respect. Suddenly Kitsuchi elbowed me in the side. I glared at her and she quickly whispered in my ear.

"That kid over there is staring at you."

"Which one? There's like thirty kids in here." I said sarcastically. Kitsuchi sighed.

"Blue shirt, emotionless face and eyes, and raven black hair." I looked around and my eyes finally fell on the guy Kitsuchi was talking about. He was staring at me and it made me blush slightly. He was gorgeous and that only made me blush even more. I turned away and noticed a guy staring straight at Kitsuchi. He had red paint marks underneath his cat like eyes. He was wearing a dark grey jacket and had the black, furry hood up. He had a white and brown dog sitting on his head. I smiled and elbowed Kitsuchi. She glared at me.

"That kid with the dog on his head is staring at you." She looked up to who I was talking about and blushed. I giggled as I noticed the kid start to blush too.

"So would you three like to introduce yourselves?" I came out of my zone as Iruka's voice filled my ears.

"Oh, uh, right." I stepped forward and couldn't keep my eyes from darting back to that other kid. Every time I looked at him he looked straight back at me. I took a deep breath and smiled.

"My name is Ayane Kikuchi. I'm twelve years old and my favourite things to do are read, draw, hang and make new friends, and practice my ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu." I bowed and smiled again. Iruka smiled.

"Alright thank you Ayane. You can sit…over there next to Sasuke." Iruka pointed to the empty seat next to the guy from before. I blushed slightly and felt cold stares from other girls follow me as I made my way over to my new seat. I sat down and shifted nervously in my seat.

-Kitsuchi-

I couldn't help but continue to stare at the boy with the dog on his head. Even after Ayane had stood up and gone to her seat it still took me a second to realize it was my turn to introduce myself. I glared at the kid, and stepped forward.

"My name is Kitsuchi Fure. I'm twelve years old and I specialize in ninjutsu and taijutsu. My favourite things to do are, like Ayane, reading and drawing, but I also love to paint landscapes. Especially during sunsets, sunrises, and when the moon is out." I smiled and bowed. Iruka smiled again.

"Thank you Kitsuchi you can take a seat over there in front of Kiba." Iruka pointed to the seat in front of the guy who was staring at me before. I rolled my eyes and walked up to the seat. I couldn't help but feel his stares drilling into the back of my head. I slowly turned around and glared at him. He smiled and I just continued to glare at him. He finally got the message I was trying to get across and crossed his arms glaring back at me. His small dog started to growl and bared his teeth. I turned back around and crossed my arms. I stared over at Ayane. She turned back and stared back at me. Her face wasn't red anymore but she still appeared to be a little nervous. I smiled at her and she smiled slightly back at me. She turned back around and faced Sutaru as she was preparing to make her introduction. I had a feeling that this was going to be a long stay. I crossed my arms on my desk and rested my head on them. Good luck to us.

-Sutaru-

I watched as Ayane sat obviously uncomfortable beside Sasuke and Kitsuchi sat completely bored in front of Kiba. I rolled my eyes. None of these guys interested me at all. I decided it was time to step forward.

"My name is Sutaru Sunake. I specialize in genjutsu and I like to read long novels to pass the time. My other favourite things to do are hanging with my best friends and making new friends as I travel."

"Thank you Sutaru. You can sit over there next to Ino." Iruka pointed to a girl with blue eyes and blond hair. She had her long hair tied up in a ponytail and was wearing a purple top that matched her purple skirt. She smiled and waved at me. I walked up to where she was and sat down.

"Hey there, I'm Ino Yamanaka. Welcome to Konoha." She whispered to me.

"Uh, hi, I'm Sutaru Sunake."

"Yeah I heard. Ugh, I can't believe Iruka put that Ayane girl over there. I've been trying to get a seat there forever and she comes here first day and gets to sit beside him right away." I wasn't sure if I should feel insulted for Ayane or if Ino was just a little annoyed.

"What's the big deal about that kid anyways?" Ino looked at me like I had just committed blasphemy.

"That _kid _is Sasuke Uchiha. He is the strongest and smartest rookie to come out of the ninja academy and he's also the dreamiest guy in all of Konoha." She sighed and looked after Sasuke in a longing way. I rolled my eyes. That's all I needed, fan girls. I stared at Ayane. She was still sitting uncomfortably. I couldn't blame her, he kept staring daggers at her. I then turned to look at Kitsuchi. She still looked bored and that Kiba guy was staring at the back of her head. I leaned back and sighed. Hopefully getting used to this place was going to be easier then it seems right now.

-Ayane-

I sat uncomfortably beside Sasuke. He kept glancing over at me and every time he glanced at me I glanced at him and then we turned away from each other. I pulled my hair to cover the side of my face. I turned back to look at Iruka.

"Now, as I was saying before, thanks to Naruto's mishap we'll be reviewing the transformation jutsu." The entire classed groaned. I could tell Sutaru would be happy about this. Genjustsu is her specialty. We all got up and stood in a line. Sasuke stood at the front followed by a kid with black hair and a spiky ponytail, that Naruto kid, that Ino girl and some other kids I didn't know yet. Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I stood at the back of the line.

"Alright, you will all need to transform into me, Sasuke Uchiha you first." Sasuke went up and easily pulled off the transformation. He stared at me and surprisingly smiled. I quickly turned to face Kitsuchi and Sutaru. They smiled at me. I slightly smiled back.

"So, how do you guys like the academy so far?"

"It's not bad. That Kiba kid won't stop staring at me though and it's really starting to piss me off." I laughed.

"What about you Sutaru?"

"It's alright. That Ino girl is a little too talkative and I think she has a thing for your Sasuke Ayane." I felt my face flush.

"He's not my Sasuke!" They both laughed.

"I was just kidding Ayane. Actually I think pretty much every girl in this class has a thing for Sasuke. Did you see the way they all stared at him when he did that poor transformation? What an amateur!" I smiled. Sutaru always got so defensive over the art of genjutsu. I looked at the front of the class as the Naruto kid stepped up. He made the hand sign and transformed, but not into Iruka. Kitsuchi and I stared at each other and burst out laughing. Sutaru just stood there and shook her head. Naruto had transformed into a beautiful, naked woman. Iruka's nose started to bleed and he completely freaked out at Naruto.

"Naruto what kind of vulgar jutsu is that?!" Naruto started to laugh.

"That's my sexy jutsu."

"That kind of move is not allowed in this school and you know that! All of your classmates are going to go through the graduation examination and if you keep that up you're never going to pass!" Naruto glared at Iruka and walked back to his seat and sulked. Everyone ahead of us went. Finally it was our turn. Sutaru went first.

"Humph, I'll show you how to do a transformation." She muttered under her breath. I smiled. She made the o-hitsugi (ram) hand sign and soon transformed into a flawless clone of Iruka. Iruka smiled and nodded his head in admiration.

"Very well done." Sutaru smiled and turned back into herself in a puff of smoke.

"Thank you." She quietly returned to her seat and everyone stared after her. Then it was Kitsuchi's turn. She walked up in front of Iruka, made the o-hitsugi hand sign, and then transformed into Iruka. Iruka smiled.

"Very good, take your seat." Kitsuchi turned back into herself and headed back to her seat in a huff. Finally it was my turn. I stood in front of Iruka and did the same as everyone before me. Just like everyone before me I turned into Iruka. Iruka smiled and I headed back to my seat. I sat down and the uncomfortable feeling crept over me. Sasuke was staring at me again.

"That was a pretty good transformation for a beginner." I almost fell out of my chair as I heard the monotone voice of Sasuke for the first time and also because he had completely just insulted me.

"I was just about to say the same thing to you." I replied coolly. Sasuke glared at me and was about to say something else when suddenly an eruption of conversation filled the class. Iruka had gone and Kitsuchi and Sutaru had appeared beside me.

"What's going on?"

"We're going to start the graduation examination soon so Iruka-sensei told us to wait here until he calls our names." Kitsuchi replied shrugging. I smiled. Kitsuchi moved closer to me.

"So how's your little relationship with Sasuke going?" I sighed.

"There is no relationship!" Kitsuchi laughed. Before she could say anything else her name was called. She winked at me and headed out of the class. After a couple of minutes she returned to the class wearing her new Konoha headband on the top of her head. She smiled brightly at us.

"Nicely done Kitsuchi." I commented. Sutaru was about to comment on Kitsuchi as well when her name was also called. She waved and headed out the door.

"Like I was going to say, thank you. It actually wasn't that hard. After this you want to go check out that Ichiraku ramen shop?" I nodded.

"Yeah, that place looks really good." I turned as I heard a huff from Sasuke.

"What's your problem?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Nothing I just didn't think we needed any other losers like Naruto in this class." We both glared at him and were about to reply when suddenly Sutaru returned wearing her new headband around her neck. She smiled brightly.

"Way to go Sutaru."

"Thanks, it was really easy actually."

"See, I told you guys!" I smiled. Suddenly my name was called. I took a deep breath and walked out the door. I entered the other room and faced Iruka and another shinobi I had never seen before. He had chin length, white hair. I stood in front of them.

"Alright Ayane, we need you to make a single clone of yourself." I stood shocked. That was all we had to do to pass the graduation exam?! I sighed, put my hands together in the o-hitsugi hand sign, and created an exact shadow clone of myself. Iruka smiled and the other shinobi did as well.

"Congratulations Ayane you pass the examination! Come and get your headband and you can head home for the rest of the day." I smiled.

"Thank you." I bowed and grabbed my headband. I headed out the door tying my headband around my waist as I walked. I finally came back to the class to find Kitsuchi and Kiba facing off in the middle of the class.

"I dare you to say that again!" I walked over to Sutaru.

"What happened?"

"That Kiba guy said something about Kitsuchi being a sad excuse for a kunoichi or something like that. Oh and congrats on getting the headband." I smiled and sighed. I could see Kitsuchi's eyes beginning to slowly turn violet. If this fight continued it was going to end badly, for Kiba. I quickly walked in between Kiba and Kitsuchi.

"I think that's enough you guys."

"Humph, whatever. You girls always team together anyways."

"What so now you're saying that I can't fight you without help?!"

"Maybe I am!"

"Screw you Kiba!"

"I was just about to say the same thing to you!" They glared darkly at each other.

"Kiba knock it off, you're not impressing anyone." I turned as Sasuke's voice sounded from behind. He was standing with his hands in his pockets. Kiba glared at him and stomped off. I looked at Sasuke and smiled.

"Thank you for helping me break that apart Sasuke. I appreciate it." Sasuke looked at me and shrugged.

"Whatever." I stared at him shocked. What was his problem?!

"Alright Ayane, I think it's time for us to go to the Ichiraku ramen shop now, see yah later Sasuke." Kitsuchi and Sutaru suddenly pulled me out of the class, but not before I noticed Sasuke's face turn slightly red.

"So what's up with you and Sasuke?" Kitsuchi asked as she was slurping up some of her beef and pork ramen. I continued to play with mine.

"Nothing's up with us! He has a total attitude problem. What about you and Kiba?" I asked poking her with my chopsticks. Kitsuchi glared at me.

"Please do me a favour and never mention that kid ever again!" I laughed. The nice ramen lady came up to us.

"So are you three new graduates of the Konoha ninja academy?" We all nodded and she smiled at us.

"Alright, then consider this bowl on the house." We all smiled brightly.

"Thank you very much." She bowed to us and walked away. We finished off our ramen and walked towards our new house. I took out the key and we walked in. Our packs were already piled near the front door but we barely cared about them. Our mouths completely fell open as we walked into our new house. Just like Kitsuchi had asked there was a big, nicely equipped kitchen. We walked up the stairs to the second floor. Just like Sutaru had asked there were two bathrooms on the second floor. One was on the right side of the hallway and the other was in one of the bedrooms.

"I call this room!" Kitsuchi called. I smiled. We looked around Kitsuchi's new room. It had a beautiful canopy bed, a bed-side table, a vanity, and an armoire. The floor was hardwood and the walls were a soft blue colour. Kitsuchi ran and jumped onto the bed.

"It's so soft!" I laughed.

"I'm happy you like it. Excuse us while we go find our new rooms." Sutaru and I left Kitsuchi to get settled. We headed to the end of the hallway. As soon as Sutaru entered her room her mouth fell open.

"This is my room." She exclaimed. I smiled. This room was like Kitsuchi's except it was a faint red colour and it had a large window facing the Hokage mountain memorial. It was also the room that had the bathroom in it. I left Sutaru alone as she got everything in order. There were no other rooms on the second floor so I headed back to the first. I looked around. The kitchen was amazing and Kitsuchi would obviously spend most of her free time here. I took a little walk through into the dinning room. It was a quaint little room with seating for four. I smiled and walked back into the entertainment room. There was a small TV in the corner, had a lounge chair in front of it and a small sofa against the wall. I walked through the entertainment room into the kitchen again. I turned and saw a door across from the front of the house.

I opened the door and walked downstairs. I finally found a light switch and flicked it on. A bright smile crossed my face. There was the third and final room of the house. It was a perfect sized room and had a nice bed against the back wall. There was a small window over the bed. I went over and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight filled the room. I went over to the light switch and turned it off. The room's faint pink walls glowed from the sunlight. I continued to admire the room. There was a vanity on the wall opposite the bed and an armoire and dresser on the right wall. I turned as I saw a door on the left wall. I opened it and smiled as I entered another bathroom. It was exactly the same as all the other bathrooms but had a bathtub and shower combination. I left the bathroom and headed back into my new bedroom. My pack was set on the bed and I turned to see Kitsuchi and Sutaru smiling at me.

"Wow, look at the lucky one who gets the big room."

"Yeah but you get the canopy bed."

"But what about me?"

"You got the other bathroom!" Sutaru and Kitsuchi laughed. We looked out the window to see that the sun was starting to set over the horizon. We looked at each other and smiled again.

"So how do you guys think the first day went?"

"Alright, only thing is that Kiba kid is the devil and a whole lot of trouble and definitely needs to shove it." I laughed.

"I thought it was alright, it was kind of boring but I think it will probably get better soon." We all smiled at each other. Suddenly Kitsuchi yawned.

"Man after all that I just remembered that I only got four hours of sleep last night." I smiled.

"Well then I guess I'll see you guys in the morning." Kitsuchi and Sutaru nodded and headed back upstairs to their own rooms. I got ready for bed and got myself comfortable. My bed was so soft compared to the rough tree bark and ground that I've had to sleep on for the last couple of years. I rolled over on my side and quickly drifted off but quickly opened my eyes as images of Sasuke filled my head. I shook my head and the images quickly disappeared. I closed my eyes again wondering where the images came from. I guess I was still ticked off at him and slowly fell asleep wondering how Sasuke was going to treat me, or how I'm going to treat him, tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 2: Ryuunosuke's Test

**Chapter Two**

**Ryuunosuke's Test**

-Kitsuchi-

I was in the middle of a field. I looked to my left and then to my right. I was all alone and the field stretched for what looked like miles. I started walking. No matter how far I walked the field never came to an end. I stopped as a sudden burst of wind came at me. I had to stand my ground to keep from blowing away. I covered my face, closed my eyes, and my hair flew back behind me. Suddenly the wind stopped. I opened my eyes and pulled away my arms only to find that the field had disappeared and had become a barren wasteland. I looked to my left and then to my right. Everything was gone. I had suddenly started to shake as a cold breeze settled in.

"Kitsuchi." A voice whispered. I turned around. There was no one there. I took a small step back and suddenly the ground behind me caved in. Soon all the land around me had disappeared leaving only a small piece of land left.

"Now there's no where to run." The voice sounded out again. I was tense. I recognized the voice too well to mistaken it.

"W-where are you?" I asked through chattering teeth.

"If you just opened your eyes you'd see I'm right in front of you." Suddenly there was another gust of wind and a figure appeared before me. He was wearing a straw hat that concealed his face and was wearing a black cloak that had small red clouds on it.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I think you already know why I'm here." I swallowed. I did know why he was here. I also knew that I was trapped in a nightmare that I couldn't wake from. I took another step back and froze as I felt the ground give way beneath me.

"Keep that up and you'll hurt yourself far worse then I will."

"Leave me alone!" The figure moved the straw hat up and his blood red eyes shone.

"Not likely." Suddenly the ground gave way beneath me. I started to fall. Faster and faster I plummeted into darkness. I began to feel my eyes start to close. Tears began to flow freely from them. The last thing I saw before darkness enveloped me was a pair of giant, blood red eyes.

I jolted up. My breathing was heavy and I was in a cold sweat. I brought my hand up to my chest and felt the racing speed of my heart beat. I took a deep breath and got out of bed. I looked out my window. The sun was beginning to rise. I sighed and decided to get ready. I headed to the bathroom in the hall and had a shower. After I was washed and dressed I headed downstairs. I tied my headband around the top of my head and headed into the kitchen.

-Ayane-

I woke up and yawned loudly. It had been so long since I had this much sleep. I felt perfectly awake and so full of energy. I went into my new bathroom and got ready for the day. I had a shower and got dressed. I tied my headband around my waist and headed upstairs. I was a little surprised to find Kitsuchi already in the kitchen making breakfast. I turned to see Sutaru heading downstairs wearing her headband around her neck. I smiled at Sutaru and she smiled back.

"Morning Kitsuchi. What's for breakfast?" I asked.

"Oh morning Sutaru, morning Ayane. I made scrambled eggs and bacon for this beautiful morning's breakfast." I stopped smiling. Something was wrong. Kitsuchi was never this happy unless _something _was wrong. I sat down.

"Kitsuchi what's wrong?" Kitsuchi stopped cooking the eggs and tensed. When she realized I was staring she relaxed.

"Nothing's wrong. I just got a lot of sleep last night." She smiled but I easily saw through her charade.

"Kitsuchi, we know you better then that. Tell us what's wrong." Kitsuchi sighed.

"I had a dream last night, nightmare is a better word for it. It was about…_them_." Sutaru and I tensed. We knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Sorry for asking." Kitsuchi smiled again.

"It's ok Ayane." I smiled back at her.

"Well, bring on the breakfast Kitsuchi, I'm starving." Sutaru exclaimed patting her stomach. We all laughed and enjoyed our first breakfast in Konohagakure.

When we had finished our breakfast we walked over to the school. On the way there we passed by Kiba who was talking to a shy looking girl with short, navy blue hair and gray eyes. Kiba turned as he saw us coming. He smiled and waved to me and Sutaru, but glared when he saw Kitsuchi. Sutaru and I walked over to them and Kitsuchi reluctantly followed.

"Good morning Kiba."

"Morning Ayane."

"Morning Kiba."

"Morning Sutaru."

"Yeah, hey Kiba." Kitsuchi crossed her arms and refused to look at Kiba.

"Oh, hi." Kiba replied.

"Kiba, who's your friend?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh, right, Ayane, Sutaru…Kitsuchi, this is Hinata Hyuga. She sits in the front row next to Shikamaru Nara, the kid who's always asleep." We smiled at her and she blushed.

"H-hi. Nice to meet you." Hinata had a high-pitched voice and she was very shy.

"Nice to meet you too." We replied. Hinata smiled at us.

"Well if you excuse us we need to get to the academy. See you later Ayane, Sutaru…Kitsuchi." Kiba and Hinata walked away. Kitsuchi glared after Kiba.

"Man I hate that kid." Sutaru and I smiled. We continued to walk to the academy. By the time we had arrived almost everyone was sitting. I turned to look at my seat and was surprised to find a girl with light pink hair sitting in my seat. She had green eyes and was wearing a red shirt with a zipper that ran along it. Under her outfit she was wearing green tights. Sutaru had already walked over to her seat next to Ino and Kitsuchi had made it to her seat in front of Kiba. I sighed and walked over. I sat in between Naruto and this other girl.

"Morning Naruto, how are you?"

"I'm great Ayane! I'm so pumped for today! Being a genin is gonna be so awesome! Believe it!" I smiled and laughed at his overexcitement. I leaned in closer towards him.

"Hey Naruto, who's that girl next to Sasuke?" Naruto blushed a little.

"That's Sakura Haruno. Isn't she pretty?" I smiled at Naruto and turned to face Sakura.

"Hi, I'm Ayane." Sakura turned to me and smiled.

"I'm Sakura, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. How are you this morning?"

"I'm doing great. I can't believe I actually scored a spot beside Sasuke. He's so dreamy. I bet all the other girls are jealous, especially that Ino pig!" Sakura sighed and blushed as she turned towards Sasuke. I smiled and rolled my eyes. I looked around the room and noticed Sakura wasn't kidding. Almost every girl was staring daggers at her. I rolled my eyes. Suddenly Naruto was crouching in front of Sasuke.

"I don't get why all the girls like you Sasuke. I don't see what's so special about you."

"Get away from me you loser." Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other. Kitsuchi and Sutaru stood behind me. Suddenly Shikamaru stood up, hitting Naruto in the process, and Naruto fell forward. Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Naruto had fallen and in the process kissed Sasuke. They pulled away from each other and both spat on the ground.

"Gross! Now my mouth's been poisoned by Sasuke!"

"Naruto you loser!" I stopped laughing as I turned to see almost every girl in class glaring at Naruto.

"Naruto, you stole Sasuke's first kiss!" Sakura stood from her seat and cracked her knuckles. Before we could stop her she started beating up Naruto.

"Sakura!" We yelled in unison. She stopped and walked back to her seat. Kitsuchi and Sutaru shrugged their shoulders and walked back to their seats. Naruto was on the floor and he was black and blue. I crouched down.

"You ok Naruto?" Naruto looked up at me and smiled.

"Yeah, I'll be ok." I smiled at him and he blushed. I helped him to his feet and we sat down. I looked over as I felt Sasuke staring at me.

"Alright everyone sit down." Iruka-sensei had walked into the class. Everyone sat down and was quiet.

"First I'd like to congratulate you all on passing the graduation exams. You have taken your first steps to becoming true shinobi. Today I will be separating you into three-man cells. That team will become like your family. You will help each other pass through the many tests and missions that you will encounter on your way. Now to begin. Team eight is Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Kiba Inuzuka." I turned to look at Kitsuchi. Her face was practically glowing. Iruka-sensei continued.

"Team ten is Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka." I looked to see Sakura totally excited. Iruka named off a couple of more teams. I became more and more nervous as I realized that I was getting closer and closer to being on Sasuke's team.

"Now team seven will be Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto was excited about being with Sakura, but disappointed about being with Sasuke and Sakura was excited about being with Sasuke, but was disappointed about being with Naruto. Sasuke sat emotionless as usual. I breathed a sigh of relief as I had passed being with Sasuke. I noticed Sasuke glance over at me. I flushed and pulled smiled embarrassed, guessing he had heard my sigh. He continued to stare at me until he was distracted by Iruka calling out the last names.

"And lastly, team thirteen will be Kitsuchi Fure, Sutaru Sunake, and Ayane Kikuchi." I smiled brightly. We had the perfect team!

"No fair Iruka-sensei! Why'd you put me with a loser like Sasuke?!" Naruto suddenly yelled out.

"Because Naruto, Sasuke is the top ranked rookie graduating and you, on the other hand, are not even close. These teams are chosen specially to share out the abilities of its members. Sasuke is strong, Sakura is smart, and you need practice." Naruto glared at Iruka-sensei and sat down.

"Now that that's out of the way I have some more news to tell you. Today is the last day I will be your teacher. Soon your new, jonin rank, teachers will come and take you under their wings. They'll teach you techniques that even I don't know and help you through the many missions you will take on. Now good luck to all of you." Iruka-sensei slowly left the classroom and we were left alone.

After about an hour our team and Sasuke's team were the only teams left.

"Our sensei's are late!" Naruto complained.

"Shut up Naruto." Sakura told him. Naruto crossed his arms and then a mischievous smile crossed his face. He pulled a chair across to the door and grabbed a chalk eraser. He opened the door and closed it on the chalk eraser.

"Naruto what are you doing?!"

"This is what he gets for being late."

"Naruto we're dealing with jonin ranked ninja here. There's no way he's going to fall for a trick like that." Sakura stated. I rolled my eyes. Sasuke sighed. Suddenly the door opened and the eraser fell on top of another ninja's head. Naruto burst out laughing.

"Oh sensei I'm so sorry. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen." Kitsuchi grunted and Sakura glared at her. The jonin had the bottom half of his face covered with black mask and he covered his left eye with his headband. His silver hair was sticking up and off to the side,

"I'm here for team seven, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke." Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura stepped forward. The sensei sighed.

"I can already tell by looking at you three that I hate you." They all sighed. The jonin took a quick look at our group and then turned back to Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura.

"Well come on then." The jonin left and Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto left behind him. I sighed.

"How much longer do you think our sensei's gonna be?"

"How should I know? But as soon as he gets here I'm gonna make him wish he wasn't late." I smiled at Kitsuchi.

"Kitsuchi, he's a jonin! He's probably really busy or something."

"You're just defending him because you liked that other jonin from before." Sutaru glared at Kitsuchi.

"I don't!"

"You so do!"

"I don't!"

"You d-" Kitsuchi was cut off as the door slowly opened. Another jonin walked in. He had his headband tied around his right arm, his hair was dark brown and spiked with a couple of strands falling over his face. His dark blue eyes surveyed us and he sighed.

"You must be team thirteen." We all nodded and he sighed again.

"Figures I get stuck with a bunch of girls." We stared, wide-eyed at him.

"Well don't just stand there, let's go already." He left the room and we quickly followed behind.

Our new sensei took us to the top of a tall apartment. There were benches and we sat down.

"Alright, tell me a little about yourselves."

"Excuse me, isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?" Our new sensei glared at Kitsuchi and she glared back. He sighed.

"Alright fine. My name is Ryuunosuke Matsumoto. I don't really like much, and I dislike kunoichi." We glared at him but ignored his statement. When he started staring at us I began the introductions.

"My name is Ayane Kikuchi. I like reading, writing, and drawing. I don't really dislike anything, except for one person but that's none of your business."

"Great, next."

"My name is Sutaru Sunake. I like reading, writing, dancing, and I specialize in genjutsu. I dislike two people but that doesn't concern you."

"Humph, next."

"Kitsuchi Fure. I like reading and drawing. Painting landscapes is my favourite thing to do. I specialize in fire ninjutsu. I dislike many things, especially Kiba Inuzuka, and you." We all looked at each other and smiled. Ryuunosuke-sensei glared at Kitsuchi and she glared right back. He sighed.

"Yeah, yeah the feeling's mutual. Now let's get this meeting over with so I can go home." We shrugged and followed him as he left.

Ryuunosuke-sensei brought us to a secluded spot near the forest that we arrived from. We sighed. The last thing we wanted to see was the dark, abysmal eternity of the forest again. Suddenly Ryuunosuke-sensei stopped walking and turned to face us.

"Alright girlies, before any of you can even start to consider yourselves as official genin you first have to pass my test."

"Another test?!" We exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, yes. Complain and complain that's about all you girls are good at. Anyway, yes another test. Don't, however, believe that my test is going to be a total cake-walk. I pride myself in my ability to make all my students crack." We looked at each other.

"Alright, then what's the test?" I asked.

"The test will have a series of parts that will test your abilities when put under great amounts of stress. Now if you follow me, we'll begin the first test." Ryuunosuke-sensei began to walk again and we followed.

"I wonder what this first test will be." I thought out loud.

"Who cares? The faster we finish this 'test' the sooner we can get away from that sexist pig over there."

"Just because I'm a couple of meters ahead of you doesn't mean I can't hear you." Ryuunosuke-sensei called from ahead of us. We looked at each other.

"You think we care?" Kitsuchi called back. Ryuunosuke-sensei sighed and continued walking. After about another fifteen minutes of walking we stopped in front of a giant fence.

"What's this?" Sutaru asked.

"That, my bright-eyed student, is a fence." We sighed.

"I think we got that, but why are we standing in front of it?" I asked. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at me and for the first time since we met him he smiled.

"This is the first part of your test." He replied. We stared at him and when we didn't say anything he frowned again and continued on.

"This is a mine field put in place to help protect the village. Even though the field is overrun with weeds and grass, the mines are a very real danger."

"That's great information and all, but what does this have to do with our test?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Well my Dark Kitty, the first part of the test is to test your abilities to work as a team to overcome obstacles using taijutsu only." Kitsuchi glared at him for the nickname.

"So that means…?" I asked.

"Well Kichiku that means that the first part of your test is to make it from this end of the mine field all the way to the other side, using only taijutsu and your teammates to help you. If you make it to the other side then you pass the first part. If you don't…well that's pretty much self explanatory." We stared at him wide-eyed.

"You can't just put our lives at stake!" Sutaru yelled.

"Of course I can. I'm your sensei so I can do what ever I want. If you don't like it then you can just head straight back to the academy."

"Actually, I think it sounds kind of fun." I added in.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Kitsuchi agreed. Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled at us.

"Well at least two of you have gotten some pointes from me. Better get in there Bright-eyes before you get left behind." Sutaru sighed.

"Alright I guess it does sound like a good challenge."

"Very good Bright-eyes." He patted Sutaru on the head. She crossed her arms and he stopped.

"Alright then ladies, here are the rules. You have exactly one hour to cross the mine field using only your skills in taijutsu and your teammates for support. If you don't make it to the other side, and when I say you I mean _all_ of you, then you fail, even if you are still alive. I don't care what kind of shape you're in, if you're missing a limb or your whole head, I don't really care. Never leave a teammate behind or you will fail. If there's only one of you left and the other two are dead, bring them with you or you fail. I will be on the other side of the field waiting for you with a timer. As soon as that clock alarm goes off in an hour, I don't care if you arrive even a second after, you still fail. Got it?" We nodded and he smiled again.

"Good. Now get your supplies and prepare for the nightmare you are about to face."

We sat in a small circle deciding what we needed to pass the first part of the test. We decided it would be best to pack lightly, so we just filled our carrying cases and walked to the front of the fence. We looked around but couldn't find Ryuunosuke-sensei anywhere.

"Please tell me he didn't just leave us here!" Kitsuchi exclaimed. I looked forward and strained my eyes. In the distance was a black blotch that waved over.

"I see him! He's on the other side of the field." I announced. Suddenly a clone of Ryuunosuke-sensei appeared.

"At least one of you knows how to use your eyes. Seems Kichiku is the one winning me over so far." Kitsuchi and Sutaru glared at him and I sighed.

"Alright girlies, as soon as my clone disappears the hour begins so I suggest you get ready." We did as he said and headed to the open gate of the fence.

"Ready? In three, two, one, begin!" The clone disappeared and we quickly jumped into the field. I tensed as I felt something underneath me and jumped to the side just as one of the mines exploded.

"Ayane! Are you ok?!" I heard Sutaru shout out.

"Yeah I'm ok!" Sutaru and Kitsuchi jumped over to me. We stared out at the vast field and sighed. This was going to be a long hour.

-Sutaru-

I stared out at the vast expanse of land. Under any piece of that dirt was a mine just waiting to be stepped on. Why did this have to be the first part?! I looked over at Kitsuchi and Ayane.

"We've got to think of a plan. We can't just go randomly jumping around or we'll get ourselves killed."

"Well what do you suggest Sutaru?"

"I don't know! I was hoping one of you had an idea."

"Well that's really helping us a lot here!"

"Well if it wasn't for my idea of getting a plan in the first place you'd just go running out and get us killed in the process!" Kitsuchi and I glared at each other. She was about to retort when Ayane perked up.

"I've got an idea!" I sighed.

"Great, what is it?"

"Easy, Sutaru you can sense things better than anyone else right?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Perfect, then here's my plan!" Ayane began explaining. Apparently it was my job to locate the mines using only my skills as a sensor. After I had found the mines, it was Kitsuchi and Ayane's job to cause them to explode so we could cross. It was a simple enough plan, but it still had its risks.

"Ok, but I'm not always right and with no chakra allowed it will be harder for me to find them."

"That's ok. We'll be fine won't we Kitsuchi?"

"Yeah, now let's do this already!" We nodded and I closed my eyes and focused.

-Kitsuchi-

Sutaru closed her eyes and began her sensory thing. I stood and waited patiently.

"Ayane, there's two mines right in front of each other three feet in front of you. Kitsuchi there's another four in a small circle two feet to your right." Ayane went first and counted out exactly three feet. Soon there was a faint click and she jumped back as two mines went off. I turned to the right and counted another two feet. I felt the mine click beneath my feet and quickly jumped back. If I had stayed a couple more seconds it would be small body parts that they would have to bring back to Ryuunosuke-sensei. Sutaru began to sense again. After a couple of minutes she opened her eyes.

"Kitsuchi there's three mines four feet straight in front of you and Ayane there's three mines three feet forward and two feet to the left." We did as Sutaru said and were slowly managing to make it across the mine field. After about ten minutes Sutaru stood with a shocked look on her face. We stared at her.

"What's wrong Sutaru?" Ayane asked.

"I can't sense the mines anymore."

"What?!" I shouted.

"The mines are covered with chakra to conceal there whereabouts so I can't locate them unless I use chakra myself." I sighed. This was a major flaw in Ayane's plan. I glanced sympathetically at Sutaru. From the look in her eyes I could see that she was ashamed of herself. I sighed and smiled at her.

"Ok well I guess there's only one other choice."

"What do you mean Kitsuchi?" Ayane asked.

"We have no other choice you guys, we're going to have to face the field head-on."

-Ayane-

I stared at Kitsuchi. She was right even though her idea was probably going to get us hurt, or worse killed, we had no other choice. I stared forward.

"Alright, well then if we're going to pass then we better get moving." We faced forward and headed straight out. We were forced to jump left, right, forward, and back in order to avoid the explosions. After another twenty minutes we stopped.

"This is ridiculous! We have half an hour left and you can barely see the end of the field!"

"Don't worry Kitsuchi, we'll make it. Look we're already half way through." Kitsuchi looked at me. She smiled but I could tell from the look in her eye that she had no hope left. I stood and faced forward. Before anyone could say anything I jumped forward again. Sutaru and Kitsuchi quickly followed behind. There was no way in hell I was going to let us fail this test.

We ran ever forward. Kitsuchi and I collided while trying to avoid an explosion and cut each other on the arm. We just looked at each other, smiled apologetically, and continued on. After another while I looked to see Sutaru comfortably ahead of us. I smiled but my smile quickly fell as Sutaru suddenly stopped. I stopped myself, grabbed my rope, threw it, latched it to her and quickly pulled. I pulled her back just as another mine exploded. She stood up and shook the shock from her face. She ran over and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed. I hugged her back.

"It's no problem." Kitsuchi jumped over to us.

"What happened?" Sutaru let me go and turned to look at Kitsuchi.

"Ayane just saved me from an explosion." Kitsuchi smiled.

"Way to go Ayane." I smiled. I looked back at my watch.

"We better get going, we have fifteen minutes left." We quickly began to run again.

-Ryuunosuke-

I stood by the clock and kept glancing at it ever couple of seconds. _Only five minutes left._ I thought to myself as I stood and waited. I wondered if they would be able to make it. Doubtful considering they were just low-level kunoichi. However, I couldn't help but feel hopeful for them. There was something about them that I liked. They were different from the other students I have had before. They were unpredictable and harsh, just like me. I smiled to myself and looked back at the clock. Two minutes remained and still there was no sight of them. I sighed. Another team was going to fail my test. The Hokage was going to hate me for this. That was why I was barely ever chosen for teams, because they always ended up dead or emotionally insane after my tests. I glanced at the clock again. Thirty seconds remained. I took a couple of steps around the clock. Twenty seconds. If they didn't hurry they were going to fail. Ten seconds. This was it, they were done. One second. Suddenly there was another explosion and three small kunoichi passed the finish line just as the alarm sounded. I smiled to myself and quickly allowed it to fall when they looked up at me.

"Congratulations, you three pass the first part of your test." They stared up at me and even though they were black, dirty, and had cuts everywhere they still managed to smile brightly.


	4. Chapter 3: Seclusion

-Ayane-

**Chapter Three**

**Seclusion**

-Ayane-

We smiled brightly as Ryuunosuke-sensei announced that we had passed. We slowly stood to our feet. Our bodies were black from the dirt and our clothes were ripped in places. I looked down at the cut I had gotten from Kitsuchi. It was slightly scabbed over and the blood that had dripped from it was dried on my arm.

"Very good. I have to give you credit, you're the first students to ever pass the first part of the test." We smiled at him. He just glared down at us.

"Now come on, let's get to the next part of your test." We slowly followed behind him.

"You've got to be kidding! We just went through hell and he's already making us do the next part of the test!"

"Keep complaining Dark Kitty and I'll just fail you right now." He called from ahead of us. Kitsuchi glared at the back of his head but didn't say anything else. We followed him for a little longer and came to a large lake in the middle of a field.

"Let me guess, the second part of the test?"

"Very good Kichiku." Ryuunosuke-sensei patted me on the head and I frowned.

"So what do we have to do? Cross the lake or something?"

"No Bright-eyes. This test is all about the changing of terrain. As ninja you will travel to many different environments, from raging deserts, to cool oceans. This part of the test will show how well you can last being in an environment unlike your own. All you have to do is get this." Ryuunosuke-sensei pulled out a small coin from his pocket and threw it into the lake.

"You're kidding right?"

"No Dark Kitty I am not. This is the deepest lake in the entire village and it will be your job to work together to retrieve it from the bottom of the lake."

"But we can't breathe underwater! How are we supposed to get that?!" Ryuunosuke-sensei shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what you're going to have to find out Dark Kitty. You can use anything you want, ninjutsu, taijutsu, but not genjutsu and you have exactly two hours to finish. Good luck, oh, and I'll start the clock as soon as you hear this whistle. Until then, get yourselves ready."

Considering the fact that we needed to swim in order to pass the test, we left behind our bags and made our carrying cases as light as we could. We also put on the bathing suits that we had packed from before and forgot to take out. We stood at the side of the lake and waited for the whistle. I put my toe in the water and quickly pulled it out.

"What's wrong Ayane?" Kitsuchi asked.

"The water's freezing." She smiled.

"I can fix that." Kitsuchi was just about to use her fire ninjutsu when Ryuunosuke-sensei suddenly blew his whistle. Sutaru, who hadn't heard our conversation quickly jumped in. Her head quickly appeared above water.

"It's freezing!" She began to shake. We smiled and started to laugh.

"At least Bright-eyes has the right idea." Suddenly Kitsuchi and I felt a strong hand on our backs and were soon face down in the lake. We quickly broke free of the water.

"Ryuunosuke-sensei!" I yelled.

"We are so g-going t-to k-kill you for t-this!" Kitsuchi's teeth had begun to chatter. Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled darkly at us.

"I suggest you stop worrying about me and start thinking about how you're going to reach that coin." I glared at him and turned to Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

"W-well what d-do you guys t-think we s-should do?"

"W-well I t-think w-we should s-see how deep the w-water is." Sutaru replied. We nodded our heads in agreement. We took a deep breath and dived. The water was freezing and I started to get a headache. I slowly opened my eyes and looked over to see Kitsuchi and Sutaru trying to keep from losing all their breath too quickly. I looked down and saw the bottom a couple more feet ahead of us. I swam further down but started to lose the little air I had left. I turned and began to swim towards the surface. I broke free and took a quick deep breath. I looked around and saw that Kitsuchi and Sutaru had come up a couple of seconds before me.

"There's n-no way w-we can g-get that c-coin!" Kitsuchi exclaimed.

"T-there's gotta b-be a w-way." I said.

"Maybe w-we should p-practice h-holding our b-breath." We stared at Sutaru.

"T-that w-would be g-good except w-we only have t-two hours, n-not two days!"

"I d-don't see any ideas c-coming from you K-Kitsuchi!" Sutaru and Kitsuchi glared at each other. I looked down at the water. I took a deep breath and dived down again. My body was slowly growing numb, which also meant that the cold water wasn't bugging me as much. I was only a couple of feet from the bottom when my lungs almost exploded and I was forced to resurface.

"Any luck?" Kitsuchi asked.

"No, I was so close though."

"There's gotta be a trick to it." Sutaru said.

"Yeah, but what?" Kitsuchi asked. I thought about it for a second. Then it hit me.

"Kitsuchi you specialize in fire ninjutsu right?"

"Yeah…?"

"And what happens when water gets really hot?" Sutaru and Kitsuchi stared at each other and shrugged their shoulders. I sighed.

"It evaporates!"

"Oh I get it now! You want me to heat up the water so that it evaporates and becomes shallower!"

"Exactly! All we need to do first is measure how deep we can go and evaporate the water that deep." We nodded to each other. We all dived down to see who could swim the deepest. After that we figured out that I could make it a couple of centimeters deeper then Sutaru so I would be the one to measure. I took a rope that I had with me and pulled it down. Sutaru and Kitsuchi watched the rope and measure it as it went. When I resurfaced we calculated that we needed to lower the water by at least three feet before we could reach the coin. Kitsuchi stood in front of the lake. She made the hand signs, hebi (snake), o-hitsugi, saru (monkey), osu-buta (boar), uma (horse), and tora (tiger).

"Fire Style, Fire Ball jutsu!" The jutsu worked perfectly and a huge ball of flame burst from her lips. The flame completely engulfed the lake and we could hear the water sizzling under the fire. After about five minutes she stopped to catch her breath. Sutaru ran over and measured the water height. She started to laugh.

"What's wrong?" Kitsuchi laughed.

"Only you could over due it Kitsuchi! You lowered the water level by six feet." Kitsuchi flushed and I smiled at her.

"It's not my fault! I didn't mean to overdue it!" I smiled and walked over to the lake. I put my toe in and smiled. It was so warm now. I quickly jumped in and swam to the bottom. I picked up the coin without much problem and swam to the top. I held the coin out and Kitsuchi and Sutaru smiled brightly. I got out and we headed towards Ryuunosuke-sensei. He sat up straight, obviously he was surprised that we had finished so quickly.

"Good job girls, you actually did it." The surprise in his voice quickly disappeared and didn't help much.

"Good, now d-do you h-have any t-towels?" Kitsuchi asked. After being in the cold air for so long we had become cold again.

"No. Now here get dressed and meet me near the forest next to the mine field." Ryuunosuke-sensei threw our clothes at us and left. We glared after him. Sutaru pulled a kunai out of her carrying case and threw it at him. He put out his hand and grabbed the kunai in between his fingers.

"Bright-eyes, if you really want to hit me, then actually put some strength and skill into it." He continued to walk away spinning the kunai in his fingers.

We got dressed and headed over to where Ryuunosuke-sensei asked us to meet him. He was leaning against a tree when we found him.

"What took you so long?" He asked. We refused say anything back to him. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Here is the last part of your test. Fairly simple, all you have to do is walk through the forest. I'll be standing on the other side waiting for you. The only rule is you have to enter at different spots and exit at different spots. You, Bright-eyes, will enter over there." Ryuunosuke-sensei pointed to a red sign on the far right of the forest edge.

"You, Dark Kitty, will enter over here." Now he pointed to a black sign in the middle of the forest edge.

"And as for you, Kichiku, you will enter the forest through that entrance." He pointed to the final yellow sign on the far left.

"There will be signs throughout the forest to help you make sure that you stay on the right path. At each of the signs is a little place where you have to sign your name. If your name isn't on every sign then you fail." I looked over at Sutaru as she sighed with relief. Sutaru never was good when it came to directions.

"Alright, this test has an unlimited time slot. If you come out through the entrance then you fail. You have to walk straight through, no turning back. Now go stand in front of your signs and I'll tell you when you can enter." We did as he said and stood in front of our signs. We looked at each other and smiled.

"See you guys on the other side." I called over.

"I'll race you!" Kitsuchi yelled. Sutaru laughed.

"I bet I'll make it out first."

"Alright girlies that's enough. Now enter in three, two, one, go!" We all stepped inside the forest and started the third and final part of our test.

I walked through the entrance and strolled through the forest. It wasn't the same one that Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I had spent almost half our lives roaming through which was good, but I couldn't quite get over the eerie feeling that forests had over me. I walked slowly through, wondering why this test seemed so easy. There was definitely more to this test then Ryuunosuke-sensei was letting on. I looked up at the sky, or lack there of, that I could see through the tall canopies of trees. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was a perfect blue. I smiled brightly and continued to walk on through the forest.

Finally I came to the first sign on the path. I walked over and read it.

"_Congrats Kichiku you made it to the first sign. Yay you. Now there are only two signs left for you to sign and then you pass, if you can make it that far._

_Ryuunosuke"_

I smiled as I heard Ryuunosuke's sarcastic voice resounding in my mind. I signed my name and continued on the path.

-Kitsuchi-

I had finally made it to the first sign. I eagerly walked over and read it.

"_Dark Kitty, I'm surprised you managed to make it this far. Only two signs left and you can leave the forest and get a wash you so desperately need._

_Ryuunosuke"_

I glared at the sign and had to force myself to not completely destroy it. I aggressively signed my name and stomped off into the forest.

-Sutaru-

I was staring, bored, up at the blue sky. The sun was shining and it warmed my completely freezing cold skin. I slightly glanced down as a wave of red light caught my eye. I looked over to see the first sign glowing bright red at me. I walked over and read it.

"_Bright-eyes you made it, I'm impressed. Two signs left and you can go home._

_Ryuunosuke_"

_Well that was short_. I thought to myself. I sighed and signed my name. I slowly walked away but not before turning back. This weird feeling had suddenly come over me but just as quickly as it came, it disappeared. I stood silently for a second to see if the feeling came over me again, but it didn't. I shrugged it off, thinking it was just the wind and continued on my way.

-Ayane-

I had finally made it to and passed the second sign. There was no note on the next sign except "one sign left". I tensed as a sudden gust of wind blew by me.

"_Ayane_." A voice whispered. I looked up and around me.

"Kitsuchi?" I asked.

"_Ayane._" The voice whispered again.

"S-Sutaru?" I didn't realize until my voice choked that I was shaking.

"_Ayane._" The voice whispered again.

"W-who's there?" I asked.

"_You of all people should know_." I tensed as the voice became louder and hissed slightly. Suddenly another gust of air came by and I screamed. When the wind finally died down I looked up to see the shadow of a figure staring darkly down at me with slit, snake-like, amber eyes.

"N-no you can't really be here." I whispered.

"And tell me Ayane, why can't I?" I looked up at the figure, my mouth agape. It didn't have a mouth, or anything else for that matter. Its eyes were all I needed to recognize it right away.

"W-why are you here?"

"My dear Ayane, how I missed you."

"Why are you here?" I asked forcefully. The figure laughed. Its laugh was dark and full of malice. It sent shivers down my spine.

"Ayane, I thought by now you'd understand why I'm always near you." I stared into its dark eyes and it stared back. I couldn't tell if it was angry or happy. Its face was completely emotionless. Suddenly images of Sasuke appeared in my head and I quickly shook them away.

"Is something wrong?" It asked me.

"No, I'm just hoping that if I close my eyes you'll disappear." I replied. It laughed again.

"Ayane you're as cold as ever. It seems that us being separated hasn't changed you in the slightest."

"You're wrong! I'm not the shinobi you wish I was!"

"Ayane, Ayane, Ayane, you and I both know that you grow to be more and more like me everyday."

"No! I'm nothing like you!"

"Please Ayane, you're attempts at lying to yourself are completely wasted. No matter how many times you tell yourself that you're not like me you'll always be wrong. We both know that." I felt tears begin to form at the corners of my eyes.

"No, that's not true."

"Ayane, you really need to stop lying to yourself. It's becoming a bad habit." The tears began to fall freely down my face. The figure reached what seemed to be a hand out to me.

"Ayane, why are you crying?" I tried to ignore its hand but it was somehow very hard for me to do.

"I hate you." I whispered under my breath.

"There you go Ayane, lying to yourself again."

"Shut up!"

"Ayane, that's no way to talk to me, and you know that." The voice was darker and angrier.

"Go away!" I yelled at it. Suddenly the figure was holding me up by the throat.

"What did I just say?" It asked angrily. I choked for air and my tears were falling down my face. Please, let this be a dream, and if it is, let me wake up very soon.

-Kitsuchi-

I tensed as I heard a scream sound through the forest. It was slightly distorted so I wasn't sure whose it was, but it still made me slightly wary. I started to walk slower then before. I saw the second sign in a small clearing ahead of me. I quickly sped up and signed my name. _One more sign to go._ I thought to myself. I smiled at the thought of passing this test and the look on Ryuunosuke-sensei's face when he saw us walk through the forest exit.

I walked a couple of feet when the air around me became cold. At first it wasn't as noticeable considering I thought it was just a gust of wind, but soon I was shaking and had to cross my arms to keep warm. How I wished that Ryuunosuke-sensei had given us towels after the lake. The further I walked, the colder it became. Soon I could see my breath in the cold air.

"W-what the hell is going on?" I asked myself out loud.

"Cold Kitsuchi?" A voice asked. I tensed and quickly turned around. Standing in front of me was the shadow of a figure. It didn't have any significant features except for its blood-red eyes staring down at me.

"H-how did you find me?" I asked. My body was shaking, and not from the cold.

"Kitsuchi, you should know by now that tracking you is considerably easy." I swallowed hard.

"What do you want from me?" I asked becoming slightly braver.

"Kitsuchi, must you ask such obvious questions?" It asked me.

"Yes." I replied.

"You are a very trying target."

"Which one of my friends did you hurt?" I asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"I heard a scream from either Sutaru or Ayane, now who was it?" I asked again.

"I haven't touched either of your friends. Why would I waste my time on one of them?"

"How should I know? You are always changing your own rules."

"Well Kitsuchi I can promise you this, I didn't touch either of your friends."

"And how am I supposed to believe you?"

"Because," Suddenly the figure disappeared and reappeared behind me. "You'll just have to." Before I could react it had me in a tight grip with a kunai placed in front of my neck. I struggled but couldn't break free. The figure moved the kunai closer to my neck and I screamed.

-Sutaru-

I turned as I heard a second scream. I couldn't tell if the scream had come from Kitsuchi or Ayane. It was making me very nervous. Something had been annoying me since I signed the first sign before. Something in the back of my mind was nagging at me but I wasn't sure why. I had signed the second sign a couple of feet back and the feeling only grew stronger. I made it to another clearing and looked around. No sign. I sighed. This test was becoming quite annoying. I continued to walk forward when I noticed it begin to grow dark. I looked up at the sky. The light blue that once shone was now turning a deep black. I stared at the sky skeptically. There was no way it should be getting dark already, unless we had been in the forest for longer then expected.

I kept walking, but with every step I took the forest became darker and darker. I stopped walking when I could barely see my own hand in front of my face. I reached out in front of me looking for a tree. I tensed as I felt something touch the surface of my hand, but it wasn't a tree. I quickly jumped back and pulled out a kunai.

"Oh look sweetie, our darling is finally a shinobi." I tensed as I recognized the wispy voice.

"Yes she has grown, hasn't she?" The deep voice replied.

"Impossible." I whispered under my breath.

"What's impossible sweetie?" The wispy voice asked.

"It's impossible for you to be here! You're supposed to be dead! I…I killed you!" I yelled back.

"Now that's not a very comforting to say to your mother. After all, we haven't seen each other in so long." Suddenly a pair of blue eyes appeared out of the darkness. They stared down at me angrily.

"Yes sweetie, you're going to hurt my feelings." Suddenly a pair of bright green eyes that mimicked my own stared at me.

"But, no, it's not possible. This is some kind of trick."

"No trick honey, you should have known that when you hit me." The deeper voice said.

"Hit you? I didn't hit you."

"Oh yes, yes you did. I saw it myself. You're a very naughty girl."

"Yes if you keep up this kind of behavior we're going to have to give you a time-out."

"But I didn't hit you!" Suddenly I felt a strike of pain on the side of my face. I fell back slightly and my face burned.

"Oh, look what you made him do! You're a very bad girl." I felt tears start to fall down my face. I screamed as I felt the hair in the back of my head almost being ripped out. Someone, or something, was dragging me by my hair.

"Stop!" I screamed.

"No, you need a time out." Suddenly I was thrown into a nearby tree.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Because honey you were bad and bad children need to be punished."

"Yes he is right. I think you should hit her again though. I don't think she understands what she's done yet." I felt hits come from everywhere. They hit my face, my side, my ribs, my stomach, and everywhere else. All the while the figure with bright green eyes squealed with excitement and kept telling the other figure to hit me again and again. I closed my eyes, wishing for it to end after every blow. Suddenly I was hit hard in the head and everything went completely black.

-Kitsuchi-

I sat on the ground. My body was covered with cuts and bruises. The figure stood in front of me flipping a kunai in his hand.

"Had enough yet?" It asked. I felt the warmth of my blood trickling down my arms where he had just added fresh cuts. I sat and contemplated the thought. What if I did just let him take me with him? At least Sutaru and Ayane would have one last person to worry about. However, if I did leave I don't know if I'd ever forgive myself. Would Ayane and Sutaru forgive me? I felt tears start to sting my eyes. Suddenly I began to hear my friends' voices in my head.

"_Come on Kitsuchi, we'll be ok."_

"_How do you know Ayane?"_

"_Because Ayane always knows what's best!"_

"_But Sutaru how do you know? How can either of you be so hopeful?"_

"_Because Kitsuchi, we're best friends, a family, if we don't stay together and stand up for each other, then who will?"_

"_Yes we are a family aren't we?"_

"_Of course we are, just like Ayane said! Now get up and let's go!" _I smiled to myself. I wiped away my tears and I slowly stood to my feet taking my fighter's stance. The figure's eyes grew wide.

"You're still going to resist me?"

"Yes. I have a home here and my friends or rather, my family, are too important to give up now after all we've been through. You can cut me, bruise me, break every bone in my body but I'm not going to go out without a fight. I'm not going to just go along nicely and let you take everything away from me!" The figure stared at me for awhile before answering.

"Very well." It ran at me and I closed my eyes awaiting impact. When I felt nothing I opened my eyes. The figure was gone and the sun shone brightly down on me, warming my body. I looked to my left and then to my right. When nothing appeared I fell back to my knees. My body was bruised and cut, but I had never felt so good in my whole life.

-Sutaru-

I felt my eyes beginning to open.

"My, my, I think you hit her a little too hard."

"Yes but she does seem to be waking doesn't she?" I opened my eyes and saw the bright blue and green eyes staring down at me through the darkness.

"Did you have a good sleep?" The lighter voice asked. I quickly got to my feet and jumped back.

"Answer her honey."

"No."

"What was that?" The dark voiced asked angrily.

"I said no! I'm not listening to you!"

"Honey don't speak to him like that! We don't speak to family like that!" Tears were still streaming down my face.

"You're not my family."

"What?" The darker voice asked.

"You're not my family! Kitsuchi and Ayane are my family!" The two figures laughed.

"Those two?! Please, you know as well as we do that those two so called _friends_ would leave you at any chance they got. You're just a burden to them. If you were put on different teams, they wouldn't care. They'd probably celebrate." Suddenly I heard Kitsuchi and Ayane's voices sound out.

"That Sutaru's only getting in the way."

"Yeah I agree she's only good for her genjutsu. Other then that she's completely useless."

"Why did we ever agree to team up with her Ayane?"

"I'm not sure Kitsuchi, but we might as well leave her here in the forest." The voices both laughed and faded away into darkness. I stared at the ground and could hear the tears hitting the ground. Suddenly thoughts of Kitsuchi and Ayane came to mind.

_"Sutaru are you ok?"_

_"No I'm not ok! I'm just an annoying person who you guys are brining along because you feel sorry for me!"_

_"Sutaru you know that's not true."_

_"But look at me Kitsuchi! I'm always lagging behind and I fall almost all the time!"_

_"But Sutaru, that's what makes you you!"_

_"What are you talking about Ayane?"_

_"Sutaru, being yourself is always what's most important. Being someone you're not is the same as lying to yourself. It's something you shouldn't do. Maybe you aren't that good at taijutsu or ninjutsu, but look at your skills in genjutsu!"_

_"Yeah, you use some genjutsu that I've never seen before! Remember when that shop keeper was after us because he thought that we were the ones who stole his meat?_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Yeah so you're the one who saved us by making an illusion wall that hid us from everyone."_

_"Yeah I guess I did."_

_"See, you are important! We'd never have gotten away if it wasn't for you!"_

_"I guess we wouldn't of."_

_"Now let's get moving!" _I smiled at myself and stood up.

"Ready to behave now?" The dark voice asked.

"No because I have more important things to worry about. My friends are out there waiting for me and I have to make it to the end of the forest."

"Those friends want nothing to do with you!" The figures said in unison.

"You're wrong. My friends are the most important people on my life. They've helped me realize my importance. My major skills may lie in only genjutsu, but that only makes me who I am. My friends would never ditch me, and I'll never ditch them."

"Fine."

"There goes our fun." I looked at the figures skeptically and closed my eyes as a bright light shone through the darkness. When I opened my eyes again I was in the clearing and the sun was shining brightly. I looked all around the clearing and there was no sign of the figures. I breathed a sigh of relief. The figures were gone and I just realized that the nagging feeling in the back of my mind was gone as well. I smiled brightly and continued on my way.

-Ayane-

The breath was quickly leaving my lungs. The figure held on tightly and wouldn't let go.

"Does this hurt Ayane?"

"P-please let m-me go." I pleaded. The figure chuckled.

"So are you going to do what I say?" I looked down. If I was to go I'd leave Kitsuchi and Sutaru, something that I knew I could never do. I started to remember the day when I succumbed to one of my anxiety attacks. Kitsuchi had just slapped me and I was staring up into her silver eyes.

_"Snap out of it Ayane!"_

_"I-I can't h-he's there, h-he's coming."_

_"Ayane listen to Kitsuchi, you've got to calm down he's not coming."_

_"Yes he is I can feel him."_

_"Ayane for the last time he's not coming!"_

_"How do you know?!"_

_"Because Ayane if he was here he would have already attacked us! He's not one to stay hidden and wait, especially when it comes to you."_

_"B-but I know it."_

_"Ayane, no matter what happens Sutaru and I will be here to protect you. We're your friends, your family, and as long as we're together there's nothing that can keep us down."_

_"R-really?"_

_"Yes, Kitsuchi is right. Now come on let's go."_

_"Ok."_

I smiled to myself and looked back down at the ground. Suddenly I realized something was wrong. My tears weren't landing on the figure's hands, they were going right through! I stared the figure straight in the eyes and smiled.

"You're not real."

"What?"

"You're not real you're just some illusion set up to scare me off."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken." The wind began to blow.

"If you're not real, then why are you fading away?" I asked. The figure stared at his hand and quickly dropped me. I fell to the ground and stared up at him. He stared wide-eyed at his hands. The wind began to literally blow him away. His skin was like sand trapped in a storm. He stared down at me.

"Don't think this is the last you've seen of me. I will be back and you will be mine." The figure glared at me and then burst into nothing but black sand that was quickly blown away by the wind. I stayed on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. I hadn't realized until then, but I was still crying. My whole body was shaking. I crossed my arms trying to calm myself down. Just like me to have an anxiety attack while in the middle of a forest by myself. I took deep breaths and soon the tears had stopped and the shaking had become a small shiver. I took one more deep breath, stood up, and started on my way out of the forest.

-Ryuunosuke-

It had been almost three hours and there was still no sign of Bright-eyes, Dark Kitty, or Kichiku. I sighed and paced back and forth. The alarm on the other side hadn't been tripped yet so there was still hope for them yet. I continued to pace back and forth when out of the corner of my eye I saw something creeping towards me. I turned and saw Kichiku, Dark Kitty, and Bright-eyes come out of the forest at the same time. I was about to congratulate them when I saw the look on their faces. They were ragged and emotionless. Their eyes were red and their faces were blotchy. All three of them had obviously been crying. They looked at each other and couldn't even smile. They looked up at me and their eyes were dark. I held out the last three signs and they signed them without a word. I swallowed not knowing what to do. No one had ever given me a look like they did and I was completely caught off guard.

-Ayane-

We all stared at Ryuunosuke-sensei. From the look on his face I could tell our expressions were unexpected. Kitsuchi was the first to speak.

"How could you?" She asked darkly.

"W-what are you talking about?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked back.

"How could you make those illusions?"

"It was part of your test."

"Part of our test?! Do you have any idea what we've been through?!" Sutaru yelled.

"Those illusions were a shadow of your biggest fears. The point of the test was to force you to fight your biggest fears alone."

"How can you do that?! You don't even know our biggest fears! You have no idea what that test could have done to us!" Kitsuchi screamed at him.

"But you passed! Why are you freaking out at me for?!" All three of them began to argue. I flinched at every scream, every harsh word, every insult. I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes again. I stepped between them and refused to look at anyone. I noticed out of the corner of my eye Ryuunosuke-sensei's eyes growing wide as he realized I was crying.

"You've put us through hell, and we've passed. I can't blame you for what you did. You didn't know and you are our sensei. I have nothing but respect for you Ryuunosuke-sensei, but what you did hurt us. You forced us to face something that was none of your business in the first place. We almost didn't make it and because of your insensitivity I was almost trapped in an anxiety attack in the middle of the forest. We all could have died and obviously you didn't figure that. We're not like any of your other students. We have past lives that we want nothing more then to leave behind us. That is exactly why we came to this village in the first place, to get away. I admire your ways of deciding who passes or who fails, but Ryuunosuke-sensei understand this, if you ever force us to go through something like that again I will kill you." Without looking at anyone I walked off from the rest of them.

-Ryuunosuke-

I watched as Kichiku walked away from the rest of us. I couldn't believe what she had just said to me. I looked at Dark Kitty and Bright-eyes. They were staring after Kichiku as well but with sympathetic stares. They looked back at me and glared darkly.

"This is all your fault." Dark Kitty stated.

"What is?" I asked.

"Ayane has gone into seclusion again."

"Seclusion?" I asked.

"When Ayane has an anxiety attack she goes into a kind of trance. It's kind of like her entire spirit has been sucked out of her. She is completely emotionless and goes into what we call seclusion." Bright-eyes replied.

"How long does it last?" I asked and was surprised at the concern in my voice.

"It ends at random times. The longest it's ever lasted was two days but that was after one of her more major attacks. We weren't there for this one so we're not really sure how long it will last. All I have to say is that nothing like this better happen again or Ayane will be sure to keep her promise." Dark Kitty explained.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When Ayane said she would kill you if you did something like that again, she wasn't bluffing. During Ayane's seclusion she loses all emotion, including sympathy. You can beg, plead, grovel, anything but it won't change her mind if she does set out to kill you." Bright-eyes stated.

"Believe us, it's not pretty. A couple of years ago some ninja kid from the Village Hidden in the Mist started picking on Ayane and she had one of her anxiety attacks. She went into seclusion and warned him what she would do if he did it again, and he did it again. By the time we managed to help him he was already half-dead. He gave up being a ninja after that day and hasn't spoken to anyone ever since." Dark Kitty explained.

"But how old was he? There's no way he was older then you guys."

"No he was actually five years older then us at the time and the village's top ranked chunin." I stared at Bright-eyes and Dark Kitty, a look of shock on my face. They both sighed.

"Can we go now?"

"Yeah, Ayane will be expecting us to be home to meet her."

"Y-yeah you can go." I watched as they walked off and sighed wondering why I was taking their advice so seriously.

-Ayane-

I looked up to see the sun slowly setting. I didn't realize I had been walking for so long. My seclusion was wearing off and I had a huge migraine. I had somehow made my way to a small clearing. There was a pool in the middle of the clearing. I walked over to it and splashed my face with the cool water. As the water was beginning to clear I tensed as I saw a figure standing over me. I quickly pulled out a kunai and jumped at it before it had a chance to react. It blocked my attack and we wrestled on the ground when suddenly the figure pinned me to the ground. It pulled a kunai to my neck.

"What is wrong with you?!" It asked. I tensed as I recognized the voice.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, it's me! Who else did you think it was?"

"I don't know! What the hell are you doing sneaking up behind me like that?!"

"Sneaking?! I saw you by the pool and wanted to see what you were doing and if you were ok when you suddenly attacked me!"

"I only attacked you because- wait, you came over to see if I was ok?" His face turned slightly red.

"Well you were leaning over the pool and from the way you were walking before I thought you looked like you were in trouble."

"Wait, you saw me before and followed me here?" He turned away from me.

"Well, uh…" I smiled.

"Never mind, and Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you please get off of me?" Sasuke looked down and saw that he was sitting on top of me and quickly jumped off. It had become dark out and I was happy that Sasuke couldn't see my flushed cheeks.

"Sorry."

"It's ok Sasuke. I'm sorry I attacked you like that. I'm just a little on edge."

"Why?"

"Because of the stupid test our sensei put us through."

"Stupid test?"

"Yes!" We went over and sat by the pool and told each other about our days with our new senseis. I left out who my figure was and said it was just some black blob. I was surprised when Sasuke actually sounded concerned about what happened to me later on. We talked and it was like my seclusion was completely gone. After awhile I looked to see that the moon had risen over the horizon. I turned back to Sasuke.

"Well, I better go. Kitsuchi and Sutaru are probably looking for me."

"Yeah, I better go to." We said our good-byes and walked off in different directions. I suddenly turned around.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for listening."

"Least I could do." I smiled and continued to leave. I smiled to myself and took a deep breath. My heart was racing and it felt like I had butterflies in my stomach. I took another deep breath and continued on my way. All the while I couldn't keep from smiling and I could feel my face flush every time I thought about me and Sasuke's meeting. When I walked back into the house Kitsuchi and Sutaru were sitting in the kitchen eating popcorn. They ran over to me as soon as I walked in the door.

"Where were you?!" Kitsuchi asked.

"I was just getting over my seclusion."

"Are you sure you're ok? You're face is all red." Sutaru pointed out. I smiled.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a got a little sunburn. Now if you'll excuse me I'm tired and want to go to bed." I headed upstairs but not before I heard Kitsuchi and Sutaru giggling. They saw right through my little charade and I knew I was going to hear about it in the morning.


	5. Chapter 4: A Day Followed By Babysitting

**Chapter Four**

**A Day Off Followed by…Baby-sitting?!**

I yawned loudly as I came upstairs and into the kitchen. Sutaru was sitting at the kitchen table and Kitsuchi was busy baking pancakes. I could already feel their stares following me as I made my way to a seat at the table. I sat down and rested my chin on my arms. Sutaru and Kitsuchi stopped staring at me and went back to what they were doing before. After a couple of minutes our pancakes were ready. Kitsuchi set a pancake down in front of me and Sutaru before setting one out for herself. We started eating in complete silence. Suddenly Sutaru and Kitsuchi hit the table at the same time.

"What happened last night?!" They asked in unison. I tensed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with us Ayane! We know you met up with Sasuke last night." Kitsuchi said eyeing me angrily. I burst out laughing.

"You're kidding right?! I was by myself the entire time!"

"Then why was your face red when you came back?" Sutaru demanded.

"I told you why! I got sunburn! You both know how easily I burn." They cocked their eyebrows.

"Ayane, if you had gotten sunburn you would have sunburn still on your face. Your face is as pale as it was before you went out last night." Kitsuchi pointed out tapping my face. I sighed. They both had me beat.

"Alright fine…I went for a walk…and met up with…Sasuke." They both stared at me and smiled brightly.

"I knew it! I knew you had a thing for him!" Kitsuchi exclaimed happily.

"I don't have a thing for him! We just talked!" I felt my face flush.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say." Sutaru added in smiling. I stood up.

"Whatever, we better get going before Ryuunosuke-sensei freaks out at us." I quickly grabbed my carrying case and headed out the front door before Kitsuchi or Sutaru could say anything.

We walked to our usual meeting place near the Konohagakure memorial stone. Ryuunosuke-sensei was already waiting for us and he wasn't happy.

"Where have you three been? I've been waiting for three minutes!" We raised our eyebrows.

"Wow, three whole minutes. Sorry we made you wait so long." Kitsuchi said sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah, Dark Kitty, anyway I want to congratulate you on passing my test, no one has ever passed before, so consider yourselves lucky."

"Lucky?! I call what we did yesterday 'skills' not luck!" Ryuunosuke-sensei glared at Sutaru.

"If Bright-eyes and Dark Kitty over here are done interrupting me I'll continue on. Since you three managed to pass my test, I've decided to give you three the day off before we start your missions."

"What?!" We yelled in unison. He smiled. For some reason, our discontent made him happy.

"You heard me. You three get the day off. Now go off and do whatever you want." He shooed us with his hand. We glared at him and stomped off back to our house.

Back at our house we sat down at the kitchen table and sulked. Kitsuchi quickly jumped up and ran into the kitchen. She pulled out as many pans as she could get her hands on. She started the stove and threw the pans on it. After she had finished with the pans she ran over to the fridge and forcefully opened it. She looked in it for a second and then turned to face us.

"We need food. I can't cook like this! Somebody get me something to cook with before I kill someone!" I stood up. Kitsuchi's eyes were glowing violet. I walked over to her and grabbed her hands.

"Kitsuchi calm down." She took a deep breath and her eyes turned back to normal.

"Sorry, it's a full moon tonight, you know how I get." I nodded. Kitsuchi always had trouble controlling herself when the moon was full.

"Don't worry about it. I'll go out and buy us some food, just give me a list." Kitsuchi quickly ran over to the drawer and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote down the list and handed it to me. She ran down to my room and came back up. She threw my wallet at me and practically threw me out of the house.

"Ok go now and I'll pay you back later. Have fun, see you, bye." Before I could say anything she slammed the front door.

"Oh, ok, bye then." I was just about to leave when Sutaru ran out the front door.

"Oh, Sutaru, are you coming with me?" I asked.

"Uh, thanks Ayane, but I think I'll just go for a walk. Considering what today is…" She trailed off and her face became hard. I nodded and smiled.

"Ok, have a good walk." She smiled at me and we walked off in opposite directions. Poor Kitsuchi, tonight was a full moon meaning she wasn't going to get any sleep, and poor Sutaru, I forgot that today was the anniversary of her parents' death. I sighed. There was no anniversary or certain phase of the moon for me to worry about. Although, I suppose the anniversary of the day I ran away from home is significant, but that was a happy day for me, not a sad one. I sighed again. Better just remain calm and serene so that I can help Sutaru and Kitsuchi get through the rest of today.

I walked to the market and looked around the stores. I managed to find all the food that Kitsuchi wanted except I couldn't help but notice her lack of fruits on the list. I sighed. It had been so long since we had any real food other then animals so I decided to take the courtesy of buying them for her. I headed over to the fruit market and made it to the apple stand. I picked up a couple and was about to buy them when I heard some squealing and arguing. I looked around the corner and saw Ino and Sakura fighting over Sasuke again. When I saw Sasuke I felt my face flush and went back to apple picking when the voices suddenly became louder.

"Ino pig! Get your hands off of my Sasuke!"

"You're Sasuke?! Hate to break it to you Billboard Brow but Sasuke is taking a walk with me!" They were pulling him back and forth. If they kept it up they were going to rip him in half! They slowly turned the corner and I could see the obvious dismay on Sasuke's face. Suddenly an urge to help him rose inside me and I dropped some of my apples without a second thought. It took Ino and Sakura's attention off of Sasuke and on to me and my fake clumsiness.

"Oh, how clumsy of me."

"Oh hi Ayane, do you need some help?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah you've got quite a lot of things there. Are you going to have a party?" Ino asked. They both got down on their knees and helped me.

"No, this is for Kitsuchi. She loves to cook and to tell you the truth we don't really have any food in our house." They both stared at me shocked.

"You've been here for three days and you don't have any food?!" I smiled at Ino's outburst.

"Well there's been a little food left to keep us going for three days but Kitsuchi was getting impatient and wants to actually _cook_ something." We picked up all the apples and I stood up just as Sasuke slowly slipped away. I glared after him. I just helped him and he didn't even give me a thank you smile. Come to think of it, Sasuke never did smile. Ino and Sakura looked around and their faces fell.

"Sasuke's gone!" Sakura complained.

"Yeah, you probably scared him off with that shiny brow of yours." Ino commented.

"What was that Ino pig?!"

"You heard me Billboard Brow!" They started arguing again and I bought my apples and slowly walked away.

-Kitsuchi-

I was pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen. The power was gnawing at my insides just waiting until it could finally bite its way out. It was driving me completely crazy! Where was Ayane?! She left almost an hour ago and there was still no sign of her! I needed some way to get rid of this energy, but I couldn't leave! If I left and Ayane came back then I wouldn't be able to cook and cooking always got things off my mind. I started pacing faster and faster and stopped as I started to make myself dizzy. I sat down and bounced my leg up and down. Where was Sutaru? If she was here then I'd be able to at least talk to someone!

"Augh, I'm going completely insane!" I shouted. I quickly stood up and walked over to the fridge where a copy of my list was hanging. I looked over it almost fifty times when I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to add beef! How was I supposed to make my own ramen if I didn't have beef?! It was too late to get Ayane, and Sutaru was gone too. I smiled brightly. This was exactly what I needed to get rid of my extra strength! I'd go out and get beef! It was perfect! I quickly ran downstairs and grabbed my wallet before heading back upstairs and out the front door.

-Sutaru-

I walked slowly through the streets of Konoha. We had never had time to go for walks like this so I quite enjoyed the chance to actually see the other sides of Konoha. The village was beautiful. The people were always friendly and treated you like a friend even if you barely or didn't even know them. I smiled. It was unlike any village I had ever been to. In other villages people barely talked to you. They treated you more like outcasts then travelers merely passing through. I sighed. Life had always been hard for me, though I couldn't really say that I was the only one.

Ayane had run away from a home that only wanted her power and hated the rest of her, and Kitsuchi has been on the run ever since her parents sold her out to the Akatsuki. We were all outcasts destined to roam the world for the rest of our lives. However, here it felt like the world had finally eased up and discovered that we weren't outcasts. I stared down at my headband. No, we weren't outcasts here. Here we were ninja, ninja of Konoha. I smiled to myself. The smile quickly faded as I heard voices coming towards me. I don't know why but I hid behind a nearby tree and watched as a young couple strode by me completely oblivious to everyone around them. I continued to watch them and then came out from behind the tree. _I wonder if I'll ever find someone._ I asked myself. I shook my head. What a weird question. I had never been interested in boys before. This village was definitely affecting me somehow.

I continued to walk and found myself standing in front of the memorial stone of Konohagakure. I went closer to it and stared at it reading the names. After I was done I looked at the bottom of the stone and read out loud.

"'This monument was resurrected in order to honour the brave ninja who protected this village from the wrath of the nine-tailed fox demon'." I stared at it and went over the names again. I stopped as I noticed the name "Umino". Poor Iruka's parents had been killed by this "nine-tailed fox demon". I sighed. Reading the names made the joyous feeling this village had brought to me quickly dissipate. I sighed again and sat by the stone to meditate. Meditation helps me control my immense genjutsu abilities. I sat completely still and controlled the genjutsu flowing through my body. Suddenly I felt a strong strike of pain run through my head and yelled out. I put my hand up to my head. Flashes of my mother and father passed through my mind. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

I always got major headaches when I tried to meditate without a clear mind. Stupid memorial stone reminding me of what I didn't have! Stupid memorial stone reminding me of how I took their lives! It was my fault they were dead and it was their fault for forcing me to kill them! I felt the tears start to form at the corner of my eyes. Damn it! I had promised myself that this day would never get me again. I quickly wiped the tears away from my eyes and tried to meditate again. I cringed as it only made my headache worse. I took a deep breath. It wasn't my fault that they were dead. They were the ones who went insane with their powers. They were the ones who almost killed me. I only killed them so that I could stay alive. It was all in self defense and I had no other choice.

I sighed. I wondered how long it would take until I finally managed to get over today. I started to smile as I remembered all the times that Ayane and Kitsuchi had helped me through this day. The only problem was that they weren't here right now and I was forced to sit alone by this cold stone. I decided the best thing to do was to continue my walk and try to erase all the thoughts running through my mind. After my mind was finally cleared I would be able to meditate and take back the control over my powers that my parents fought ceaselessly to attain themselves.

-Ayane-

I walked back to the house and tried to open the door. When I realized it was locked I took out my key and went in.

"Kitsuchi! I'm back! And I've got food!" I shouted. When I didn't hear an answer my heart rate began to accelerate. I quickly dropped all of my shopping bags and ran through the house. There was no sign of Kitsuchi anywhere. I finally stopped in the kitchen and found a note.

_"Dear Ayane and Sutaru,_

_I've gone out to get some beef so don't freak over the fact that I'm not there. I forgot to add it to my list and I need it badly. I also need to get rid of some of my extra energy. I'll probably stop by to drop off the beef and then go out. I probably won't be coming home tonight so don't wait up. I'll see you guys either when I get back or tomorrow morning._

_Thanks!_

_Kitsuchi."_

I went over the note a couple of times and sighed. I hope she can keep herself under control this time. I walked over to the fridge and started putting food in it. By the time I was done the fridge was almost overflowing. I smiled and left a small place open for Kitsuchi's beef. I smiled at my work and looked around. The house was completely spotless thanks to Kitsuchi's neat freak ways and I had absolutely nothing to do. I decided that the only thing I could do at this point was to go for a walk.

I left the house and strolled along the streets of Konoha. I headed towards the forest and walked by it. Even though we had been through so much in that forest I couldn't help but admire its beauty. I smiled as the sun shone through the trees and the light danced happily in the breeze. I smiled and continued on my walk. I was getting a little bored so I decided to sing.

_"I lie here paralytic, inside this soul. Screaming for you till my throat is numb. I wanna break out, I need a way out, I don't believe that it's gotta be this way. The worst is, the waiting, in this world I'm suffocated. Feel your presence filling up my lungs with oxygen, I take you in. I die, rebirthing now I wanna live for love wanna live for you and me, breath for the first time now, I can relax somehow. Rebirthing now I wanna live my life, wanna give you everything, breath for the first time now, I can relax somehow."_ I was about to continue into the second verse when I felt a presence around me. I looked left and right but couldn't see anyone. Suddenly a voice sounded out.

"Yo what're you doing out here?" I looked up to see Sasuke resting on a branch of one of the nearby trees.

"Oh, hello Sasuke." I replied coldly.

"What song were you just singing?" He asked ignoring my harsh tone.

"Rebirthing by Skillet, why?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, it just sounded like an interesting song."

"Is there a reason why you're sitting out here?" I asked him.

"I'm relaxing since I can't do that anywhere else. By the way, thanks for getting Ino and Sakura off my back." I stared wide-eyed at him. So he did have an appreciative bone in his body.

"No problem, you looked like you needed help anyways." He shrugged his shoulders.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked me.

"I'm going for a walk around Konoha. I haven't really had the chance to see the rest of the village yet." Sasuke jumped down from the tree and landed beside me.

"Interesting. I'm headed back to the market now anyway. I need to get some shopping done." He began to walk back to the village market place and I followed behind. I had never really talked to Sasuke before and I figured that this was a good chance to get to know him better, even if his first impression was terrible.

"What are you shopping for Sasuke?" I asked after I caught up to him.

"Our sensei, Kakashi, is taking us on one of our first missions out of town in a couple of days and I want to make sure I'm prepared."

"Really? Where are you going?"

"Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist. We're escorting some bridge builder or something like that." I tensed. Now I was very grateful I wasn't on Sasuke's team. There was no way I would ever go back there. When I noticed Sasuke staring at me I looked back at him and smiled. He looked at me shocked and I just continued to smile.

"Would you like me to help you with your shopping?" His eyes grew wide. When I looked at him he turned back and tried to put on the oh-so-cool look he was famous for, but his cheeks were slightly red.

"Whatever, I don't really care." I smiled. I could tell that this was his way of saying that I could if I wanted. We walked together to market and I helped Sasuke with his shopping for his mission. By the time we had finished the sun was already starting to set. Sasuke had managed to get enough supplies to last him through his mission.

"Well I guess that's it." He said as we walked back to the housing area.

"I guess so. Hey Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to admit something."

"What?"

"Before I thought you were just another stuck-up guy who only cared for himself and completely loved the attention he got from all the girls, but I have to admit I actually had fun today." He looked at me and his face grew red again. I stopped in front of my house.

"Well this is me. I guess I'll see you when you get back." I smiled.

"Yeah, I'll see you later." He started to walk away but suddenly turned back.

"And Ayane?"

"Yeah?"

"I guess I want to thank you for helping me." I smiled brightly.

"Your welcome." I felt my face flush as he actually smiled at me for the first time. I had never thought that seeing him smile would make me feel so happy. He waved and then continued to walk home. I waved after him and then let myself into the house. I let out a deep breath and smiled. I looked around the house. Sutaru and Kitsuchi still weren't home yet. I walked over to the fridge and opened it. I was surprised to see the beef Kitsuchi wanted so badly sitting in the fridge in the place I had left for it. I guessed she must have brought the beef back and then left like she said she would. I went over to one of our cupboards and pulled out a cup of instant ramen and started to boil the water. I went down to my room and pulled out a book to read while I waited.

-Sutaru-

I must have fallen asleep for when I awoke I was in the middle of the forest and the sun was slowly setting. I stood up and stretched my stiff legs. My stomach began to growl and my head was no longer pounding. I had managed to get rid of all thoughts in my mind and went through my meditation. I looked around. I was completely alone and for some reason I couldn't remember how I had gotten here. I must have walked here and managed to meditate but fell asleep right after. I yawned loudly. I decided now would be a good time to head back home. Ayane and Kitsuchi will probably be home now and Kitsuchi would probably make us a delicious dinner.

When I walked into the house I heard the TV from the other room. I walked in and found Ayane sitting on the couch in her pajamas. She was eating a cup of instant ramen noodles and was watching a romantic comedy.

"Where's Kitsuchi?" I asked.

"She's come and gone." She replied through a mouth full of noodles.

"Did you see her?" I asked.

"Nope, I just know because there's beef in the fridge." I looked at her skeptically. She held out a note as she stuffed another chop stick full of noodles into her mouth. I took it, read it over, and smiled. Leave it to Kitsuchi to go completely crazy over something so small. I went back into the kitchen and cooked up some of my own instant ramen. I got my pajamas on and joined Ayane on the couch.

"How long do you think it will be before Kitsuchi comes back?" I asked after a couple of minutes. Ayane shrugged her shoulders.

"Probably not until morning. If we hear anything else we'll have to go get her earlier. You know how she gets on the night of a full moon. It's better to just leave her alone until the moon sets." I nodded in agreement. The only thing Kitsuchi wanted more when the moon was full was to be alone and simmer in her solitude. I sighed.

"Hey Ayane?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favour and change the channel. This show is depressing." Ayane laughed and changed the channel to some comedy show. Together we sat, ate and waited for first dawn's light to arrive.

-Kitsuchi-

I had been wandering for hours and somehow ended up by the forest. I walked over to a tree and collapsed under it. My breathing was heavy and my whole body was shaking. I tried breathing deeply but it only made me feel worse. My lungs were burning and my legs refused to pick me up again. I sat as still as I could, trying to keep myself under control. No matter what I did I couldn't stop my body from shaking. I knew if I fell asleep then I would lose complete control so I kept my eyes wide open. After I had calmed down I stared up at the moon.

"Damn it! I hate this!" I yelled out and pounded the ground with my fist. Suddenly my whole body started to shake violently and my stomach began to churn uneasily. I took another couple of deep breaths and soon calmed down again.

"Must remember to keep my temper from taking control of me." I reminded myself out loud. I sat for a little while longer. Soon my legs lost the numbing feeling that had fallen over them. I finally stood up and began on my way again. I looked around wondering what time it was. I looked back up at the moon. It was already past the half point mark in the sky meaning that it was around two or three in the morning. I sighed. Only another two hours and this nightmare would be over. I wondered how Ayane and Sutaru were doing. Today was the anniversary of Sutaru's parents' death and I treated her like trash. Not only that but I acted like I wanted nothing to do with either of them. I would have to get down on my hands and knees and beg for their forgiveness tomorrow.

I walked around for another hour and a half when my legs gave out beneath me again. I crawled over to another tree and sat beneath it. The moon was closer to the edge of the horizon meaning that it was four in the morning. I sighed. Only a little longer and I could finally head home and get at least two hours sleep. I sat for a little while longer and was about to see if I could walk again when I heard a small bark.

"Come on Akamaru! Hurry up and do your thing so that I can go home and sleep." Kiba yawned. He walked around the corner and stopped when he saw me sitting on the ground beneath a tree. He walked over to me.

"Kitsuchi? What are you doing out at this time?"

"Why are you asking me? What are you doing out here?" I asked coldly.

"Walking Akamaru. Now answer my question."

"No! I don't feel like it. Now go on and walk your little doggy and leave me alone!"

"Hey that's not very nice!" Akamaru started to growl at me. I could feel my eyes glowing violet and the little dog took a couple of steps back. I shook my head.

"Look Kiba I don't want to talk to you right now so leave!"

"What the hell is your problem?!"

"Right now it's you so go!"

"Look by rights I was in this village first so why don't you leave if you don't like me being here?!" I glared up at him.

"Fine if you want me to go I'll go!" I shakily stood and took a couple of steps forward when I felt my legs give out from beneath me. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact but quickly opened them when I felt nothing. I looked around me and noticed that I was floating above the ground. I looked up and saw Kiba's dark eyes staring down at me slightly worried. I stared up at him and felt my face flush.

"Kiba…put me down now!" I tried to hit him but he dodged and put me back on the ground.

"Jeez, is this how you treat people who save you?"

"You…well…uh…" I trailed off. Even though he caught me and saved me from…bruises, he still deserved a thank you. I sighed and looked straight at him.

"Kiba, thank you for catching me when I fell." I smiled to myself as I noticed his face glow slightly red.

"Yeah, well, it was no big deal. Why are you having trouble walking anyway?"

"I'm not having trouble walking. I just tripped."

"So you're a clumsy ninja?" I glared at him but couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah I guess you could say that." He smiled. I looked up at the sky and smiled brightly as the moon finally set past the horizon and the sun began to come up. I felt the feeling come back to my legs and stood back up again. I yawned.

"Tired?" Kiba asked.

"Well I've been up since early this morning so yeah I am. I better get back home so that I can get at least some sleep." Kiba nodded.

"I better finish walking Akamaru. I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah. See yah Kiba." Kiba smiled and continued to walk on. After he was a few feet away I turned.

"Kiba?!" I yelled over to him.

"Yeah?!"

"Thank you again!" He smiled and waved.

"Don't mention it!" I waved back and continued home. I waited until my heart beat had slowed down and my face was expressionless before I stepped inside. I looked around. The house was completely still and silent. I yawned loudly again and walked up to my room. I quickly got ready for bed and as soon as my head hit my pillow I drifted off into a deep sleep.

-Ayane-

I woke up the next morning to the sound of something sizzling. I quickly got dressed and headed upstairs. I found Kitsuchi already up cooking sausages, bacon, and eggs for breakfast. I walked over and sat down.

"Sutaru not up yet?" I asked.

"No, not yet. She's not very good when it comes to mornings." I smiled at her and she smiled back. I sat and waited. Kitsuchi placed a plate of eggs and sausages in front of me just as Sutaru came downstairs yawning loudly.

"Oh, breakfast is ready?"

"Yes, I just finished making it." Sutaru quickly sat down and Kitsuchi placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. After she was done serving everyone else, Kitsuchi put out her own food. We ate in silence until I decided to break it.

"How was your night?" I asked Kitsuchi. She looked up at me and her face went slightly red.

"Not bad, the usual stuff." She said shrugging.

"And…" She looked at me.

"And nothing." Sutaru stared at her and closed her eyes. She suddenly opened them and smiled darkly.

"You're lying."

"What're you talking about? No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Your face is practically on fire, and you're hands are clammy. Not to mention the fact that you're shaking." I glanced over at Sutaru and smiled. Her ways of perception never cease to amaze me. Kitsuchi looked around the room trying to find a way out of the question. When she couldn't find one she sighed.

"When I was out walking I met Kiba. He started to piss me off so I stood to leave. Just as I was leaving my feet gave out from beneath me and I fell. Before I hit the ground Kiba caught me." We both looked at her wide-eyed. She glanced up at us and we smiled brightly.

"So does that mean you and Kiba are friends now?" I asked. She looked at me shocked.

"You mean you're not going to tease me about it or anything?"

"No why would we? I think it's great you and Kiba are getting along now." I looked over at Sutaru. I could tell that she was going to say something so I kicked her under the table. She made a face but didn't say anything. Kitsuchi looked at me and smiled brightly. Before I knew it she jumped at me and embraced me in a warm hug. I smiled.

"Thank you Ayane. I feel so terrible now for treating you so badly yesterday." She stood back and looked at Sutaru. "And I'm sorry too Sutaru. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did, especially on a day like yesterday." Kitsuchi walked over to Sutaru and gave her a hug. Sutaru and I stared at each other and smiled. I suddenly turned to look up at the clock. I quickly stood.

"What's wrong Ayane?" Kitsuchi asked. I pointed to the clock. Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked over and their faces fell. We quickly picked up our stuff and ran out the door.

We finally arrived at the memorial stone where Ryuunosuke-sensei was waiting. He glared down at us.

"Where the hell have you guys been?! I've been waiting for almost an hour!"

"We, uh…lost track of time…?" I offered.

"Ninja do not proud themselves on tardiness! We stand for punctuality as well as all the other stuff you learned at the academy!" Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I looked at each other and sighed.

"We're sorry we are late Ryuunosuke-sensei." We said in unison while bowing. He looked down at us and sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now let's move on to your first official mission as genin." Our eyes lit up and we smiled brightly.

"What is it? What is it?" Sutaru demanded.

"Yeah, are we escorting a significant person across a barren wasteland full of ninja just waiting to ambush us?" I asked.

"Or is it a reconnaissance mission to spy on the enemy nations?" Kitsuchi wondered.

"Ooh, maybe we'll get to help train the new students at the academy!" Sutaru thought out loud. We looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei and he shook his head.

"No, no, and no. You're not going to be doing anything like that." Our faces fell.

"We're not?" We asked sadly.

"No, but you're first mission is a very important mission considering it's your first." Our faces lit up again.

"Really?" We asked in unison.

"Yep. Now follow me." We followed Ryuunosuke-sensei back into the village and we stopped in front of the building where we met the Hokage. He turned to face us and he smiled brightly.

"Your first mission will be…to baby-sit!" We looked at him and nearly fell over.

"Are you joking?!" Kitsuchi asked outraged.

"We're ninja not baby-sitters!" Sutaru added.

"We didn't go through the examinations at the academy to baby-sit a bunch of little kids!" I yelled. Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled.

"Yes, but these aren't just any kids, you'll be babysitting these kids." Suddenly three kids walked over to us with a ninja who was wearing dark glasses. The kid on the left had short, light brown hair, and was wearing a navy blue jacket, black rimmed glasses and tan shorts. His nose was also running and he sniffed constantly. The boy in the middle had a blue scarf on that looked like a cape because it was too big for him. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt that had the symbol for Konoha village on it and was also wearing tan shorts. His dark brown hair was tied up in a spiky ponytail. The final kid was a girl with light orange hair that stuck out and had hair ties wrapped around the ends of them. She had bright red cheeks and wore a lilac t-shirt that went down past her waist and it was underneath a plum coloured tank top. She also wore tan coloured shorts. All three kids had dark black eyes and stared up at us.

"Alright Ebisu, I'll leave these guys with you."

"Very well, thank you Ryuunosuke."

"No problem, now if you'll excuse me, I have some stuff I gotta do. Catch you later!" Before we could say anything Ryuunosuke-sensei disappeared. We turned and stared down at the three kids.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ebisu and I am the tutor of the honourable grandson."

"Who is the 'honourable grandson'?" Kitsuchi asked. Ebisu took a step back and stared at us horrified.

"You mean you three have never heard of the honourable grandson?!" We shook our heads. Ebisu stood up straight and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"The honourable grandson is the small boy you see before you. He is the Hokage's grandson and therefore must be protected and treated with the utmost respect." We looked down.

"Which boy?" I asked. Ebisu sighed.

"I'm the honourable grandson you idiot." The little boy with the ponytail stated. I glared down at him.

"What was that?" I asked.

"You heard me and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Oh really? Says who?" I asked making a fist.

"Please, no one has the guts to hurt me. I'm the Hokage's grandson. Everyone is all the same." He replied pouting. Before I could move Ebisu spoke up again.

"Now I hear you three have taken on the job of baby-sitting these three?" We nodded our heads.

"Good, now allow me to introduce the children to you. This is Udon." The little boy with the running nose stepped forward and blushed slightly. We smiled back and his face became even redder. Ebisu continued.

"And this is Moegi." The little girl took a small step forward and we smiled at her.

"And this is the honourable grandson, Konohamaru." The small boy with the ponytail took a step forward but refused to look at us. Ebisu smiled. I took a small step forward.

"My name is Ayane Kikuchi."

"My name is Sutaru Sunake." Sutaru stated stepping beside me.

"And I'm Kitsuchi Fure." Kitsuchi took a step up to stand beside Sutaru.

"Very pleased to meet you all." Ebisu said smiling.

"Now I expect you to take good care of these three, especially the honourable grandson. Don't let any of them out of your sight. I'll be back to pick them up at sundown at this exact spot." We nodded and told him we understood. With that he nodded his head and like Ryuunosuke-sensei, disappeared.

We all looked at each other and didn't say anything for awhile. I decided to break the silence.

"So, what do you three wanna do first?"

"Nothing with you of course. Now if you'll excuse us, we have ninja training to do." Konohamaru told us. Kitsuchi laughed.

"What, you don't think we're ninja?!" Konohamaru stated turning to face her.

"No, you're just not ninja _yet_. You still have to go to the academy and study hard."

"Well, they let you three pass so it's not gonna be that hard." We stared down at him.

"What?!" We asked in unison.

"You heard me, and there's nothing you're going to do about it because I'm the honourable grandson." We looked at each other and glared at him. He smiled triumphantly. Before he saw what was coming, all three of us punched him in the head. He fell and hit the ground.

"We don't care whose grandson you are. If you want us to treat you with 'utmost respect' then you're going to have to treat _us_ with the utmost respect first." Kitsuchi pointed out. He got up and stared at us.

"But you're only low-level genin. You're barely even ninja!"

"We're more ninja then you are and you better remember that." Sutaru stated. He glared up at us.

"Hey you can't hit Konohamaru. You're supposed to be baby-sitting us, not beating us up." Moegi suddenly said.

"What can we say, we're a big believer in proper discipline." Kitsuchi said shrugging her shoulders. The three kids glared up at us. Suddenly I realized that they were all wearing green goggles on their heads.

"Hey, where'd you guys get those goggles?" I asked. Konohamaru looked at his and smiled brightly. One of his teeth was missing.

"These are the goggles that our boss wears, so we have to wear them too." I thought back wondering where I had seen the goggles before and then it hit me.

"You mean, Naruto is…you're boss?" Konohamaru looked at me shocked.

"You know the boss? I thought he was too far out of your league." I sighed and Kitsuchi started to laugh.

"Naruto?! That Naruto?! He's about as ninja as a newborn." She continued to laugh. Konohamaru glared up at her.

"Oh yeah?! Then explain how he taught me this." Konohamaru made the o-hitsuji hand sign.

"Sexy jutsu!" Suddenly he turned into a tall, beautiful, completely naked woman. Sutaru, Kitsuchi and I stared at each other and burst out laughing. Konohamaru turned back into his normal self and glared up at us.

"It's not funny! That's a very serious technique! It was used to defeat Ebisu before and it defeated my grandpa too!" We stared at him and tried to control ourselves. I took a deep breath and smiled.

"O-ok then, anyway, what do you three want to do?" Kitsuchi and Sutaru stopped laughing and looked down at them.

"We already told you, we wanna train!" Moegi complained. We sighed.

"We can't though or else you three are going to get us all into trouble." Sutaru replied. They glared up at us. Suddenly they formed a small circle and started whispering to each other. Sutaru, Kitsuchi and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. Suddenly they pulled apart and looked up at us. Before we could stop them they threw three smoke bombs on the ground and made a run for it. Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I jumped out of the smoke but the three kids were nowhere to be found.

"Those little brats got away." Kitsuchi complained. We walked over to each other.

"Well we can't just stand here and not do anything. Ryuunosuke-sensei will never let us live it down and he'll probably send us back to the academy." I told them. They nodded in agreement. We all sighed.

"I guess we have no choice, we're gonna have to split up and find them." Sutaru said hitting the side of her fist lightly against her palm. Kitsuchi and I nodded in agreement.

"Ayane you should go after Udon. I'll go after Moegi and Kitsuchi, you can go after Konohamaru."

"Huh, why do I get the leader?" Kitsuchi asked crossing her arms and sulking.

"Because I figured you'd like a good challenge." Sutaru stated. Kitsuchi uncrossed her arms and nodded. We nodded to each other before heading off in different directions.

-Kitsuchi-

"Figures I get the biggest brat of all." I whispered under my breath as I searched through the village looking for Konohamaru. I picked up the lid of a garbage can and looked inside. No Konohamaru.

"When I get my hands on him I'm gonna…"

"You're gonna what?" I turned to see Kiba standing behind me.

"Oh, hi Kiba, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I'm kinda busy right now so could you go away?" Kiba chuckled.

"No matter how you say things they're always filled with an attitude." I sighed.

"Look, I gotta go, I'm on a mission." He stared at me.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What do you have to do?"

"Baby-sit."

"So what are you doing here without a kid?" He asked.

"Because he kinda got away from me."

"Some baby-sitter you are." I glared at him.

"You're not helping!" He laughed.

"Kiba, come on we have training to do." I looked over to see a beautiful lady with wavy black hair and bright red eyes. She was standing with Hinata and a boy with spiky brown hair and dark black glasses that I didn't know.

"Oh, sorry Kurenai-sensei," He turned back to me, "catch yah later Kitsuchi. I hope you find that kid. Oh and do me a favour?"

"What?"

"Try not to scare him off again!" He ran off and I glared at the back of his head. I went back through the village and continued my search. I turned around a corner and saw some fingers holding up a cloth that had the same design as the wall. The only problem was that the cloth was the wrong way round. I sighed. This was too easy. I walked around the corner and over to the cloth. I knocked on it three times. I heard three small yelps and smiled.

"Ok Konohamaru, come out." He dropped the cloth.

"Wow, you're almost as sharp as the boss." He said with a bright smile. I sighed.

"Thanks, but we gotta get you back to your grandpa, so let's go." Suddenly Konohamaru's eyes grew dark and he pressed a small button he had behind his back. Suddenly the ground beneath me gave way and I fell into a small hole that was filled with water. I fell in with a giant splash. When I resurfaced all I could hear was the sound of a small boy running away laughing hysterically. I glared darkly.

"As soon as I get my hands on that kid I'm gonna rip his ponytail out!" I screamed.

-Sutaru-

I looked around the village a little and still hadn't found Moegi. Not that I had been looking that hard anyway. I sighed. This was way too easy it was sad. I found a secluded spot and closed my eyes. I concentrated on the surrounding area and soon my sights fell on my target. I smiled and walked over to an alleyway a couple of feet in front of me. I walked down to the end of it and found a rectangular rock at the end. I sighed. This was unbelievably easy. I kicked the rock slightly and it flinched.

"Nice try Moegi, but rocks aren't rectangular, they aren't at the end of alleyways in a village, and they definitely do not move." The small "rock" lifted up and Moegi came out from underneath it.

"Wow, you're pretty good. Naruto's the only one who ever figures me out." I laughed but I couldn't help but feel insulted for being compared to Naruto.

"Yeah, well anyway, we better get back to reach the others." Suddenly Moegi jumped up and grabbed a rope above her. Suddenly someone's sheets fell over me and I heard her run away. I pulled the sheets off myself and glared darkly down the alley.

"I'm gonna make her suffer for this." I whispered under my breath. I walked out of the alley and smiled darkly to myself as I thought of the perfect plan to make all three of them pay.

-Ayane-

I walked through the village and found myself wandering by the memorial stone. I turned to face it and saw little Udon sitting in front of it. I walked over to him and sat beside him.

"Hey Udon." He looked up at me startled and blushed.

"Hello."

"What are you doing all the way over here?"

"I'm hiding."

"Well don't you think you need a better hiding spot?"

"No, there's not point, you guys are gonna find us anyway."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because you guys are genin and we're not. It's obvious you'll find us." I smiled.

"Whether you're genin or not as long as you believe in yourself it doesn't matter what level you are, 'Believe it!' I think is the motto Naruto goes by." Udon looked up at me.

"You really think so?"

"I know so." I smiled and he smiled back.

"I'm sorry Konohamaru and Moegi are so mean."

"It's ok. I was a kid once too…" I trailed off. Thinking back I realized that I never really had a childhood. Udon looked me and cocked his head to the side. I broke out of my zone and smiled at him.

"Like I was saying, kids are always getting on people's nerves, it's what they do. It's better to act like a child while you still can. Life is too short to waste being completely obedient all the time."

"Wow, I guess you're right. I never really thought about it before." He sniffed and I smiled.

"So what brought you to the memorial stone?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not really sure. The grown-ups don't talk about it and we've never really been told about it, other then it's a memorial to all the ninja of the village who died protecting us." I nodded, realizing now that Udon wouldn't have been born when the village was attacked.

"I think it's amazing that a kid you're age even thinks about stuff like this." Udon looked up at me shocked.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean most kids are usually playing around and just being kids without a care in the world, but Udon you actually have time to play but you take time away to think about important things like this. I think that's amazing." I looked down at him and smiled. He blushed and smiled back.

"Wow, Konohamaru and Moegi laugh at me and call me a nerd when I talk about important stuff like this." I laughed.

"Well I guess kids can be like that sometimes, but don't worry about it, they get over it eventually." I stood up and kissed him on the cheek. He stared at me and his face went completely red. He slowly stood to his feet. I smiled. He looked down at the ground and pushed his index fingers together. Suddenly he looked up at me with fire blazing in his eyes.

"I think I'm gonna take your advice and do my very best. I don't care what anybody says, I'm gonna show them what I've got." I smiled brightly.

"Good for you Udon. I'll be cheering you on the entire way!" We smiled at each other.

"I think I'm ready to go back now."

"Ok, let's go." We started to walk away when Udon stopped.

"Ayane?" I turned and faced him.

"Yes?"

"Promise you'll be there to cheer me on?" I looked at him and smiled brightly. I stuck out my pinky.

"Promise." Udon smiled and we shook pinkies. We continued on the way and I smiled brightly thankful that I could help someone through their childhood, when there was no one who could help me through my own.

Udon and I walked back to the spot where we first met and found Kitsuchi and Sutaru already there. Kitsuchi was covered in water and mud and Sutaru was picking bits of fabric off her clothes. Konohamaru and Moegi were tied up on the ground. They smiled when they saw Udon.

"Udon hurry, help us outta here!" Konohamaru pleaded. Udon looked at me and I winked. He took a deep breath and walked towards Moegi and Konohamaru.

"Konohamaru, Moegi, I refuse to help you." They stared up at him shocked and Sutaru and Kitsuchi stared at me wondering what I had done.

"Udon, what are you talking about?!"

"I refuse to help you guys. If you had just been nice before you would have realized that our baby-sitters are really nice."

"Nice?! That demon over there punched me three times in the head!"

"Yeah, and that witch over there dragged me here by my pigtails!" I looked over at Kitsuchi and Sutaru, they shrugged their shoulders.

"Well Ayane gave me some advice and helped me feel better. She was really nice. Besides, from looking at the one with black hair I can tell that you threw clothes at her Moegi, and Konohamaru you dropped that silver-eyed girl into some water and forced her through the muddy forest." Kistuchi and Sutaru nodded in agreement.

"I don't care! She deserved it!"

"Why?! Because she's bigger and stronger then you?!" Konohamaru opened his mouth to retort but he couldn't. I was shocked to see how much a few words could change a person. Konohamaru looked ashamed but remained firm. Sutaru sighed.

"And here I thought maybe I wouldn't have to do this." I looked at Sutaru skeptically. She walked over to Konohamaru and Moegi and bent over. She closed her eyes and when she opened them Konohamaru and Moegis' eyes lost their pallor. Sutaru stood up and untied the two kids.

"Alright stand up." They did as she commanded. Udon walked over to me.

"What is she doing to them?" He asked.

"Don't worry, she's just hypnotizing them." Udon stared at them concerned.

"They'll be fine, she'll release them later on." Udon nodded and looked slightly relieved he wasn't like them.

"Alright, Konohamaru go with Kitsuchi and help her get cleaned up, and apologize to her while you're at it." Konohamaru nodded and walked over to Kitsuchi. He bowed.

"I'm sorry for what I did." His voice was monotone and he sounded like a robot. Kitsuchi shrugged.

"It's not really him saying it, but it's good enough. I accept your apology." Konohamaru then grabbed Kitsuchi's hand and pulled her off.

"Good, now Moegi, I want an apology." Moegi walked over to Sutaru and did the same as Konohamaru.

"I'm sorry Lady Sutaru." Sutaru smiled brightly.

"You're forgiven."

"'Lady Sutaru'? Isn't that taking things a little too far?" Sutaru shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe." I laughed.

When Kitsuchi came back she was completely clean and Konohamaru was still hypnotized. We spent the rest of the day playing ninja and teaching Udon, the hypnotized Moegi, and Konohamaru small techniques that we knew. By the time the sun started to go down they could all do the transformation jutsu. We turned as we heard three voices approaching us. It was Ryuunosuke-sensei, Ebisu, and the Hokage. Sutaru quickly undid the hypnosis before they noticed. Konohamaru and Moegi burst back to normal but acted nice when they saw who was approaching. Ryuunosuke-sensei stared at us surprised that we were unscathed.

"Well, looks like you guys did ok." We sighed.

"Thank you for taking care of my grandson and his friends." We smiled brightly.

"It was the least we could do." We replied in unison. The Hokage smiled back.

"Well, come now Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, time to go." Moegi and Konohamaru followed behind quickly but Udon was slower then them. He turned back and looked at me. I put my pinky up and he smiled and did the same.

"Come on Udon let's go!" Konohamaru called. Udon looked back and ran off. I smiled brightly.

"What happened?" Kitsuchi asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why was your kid really sweet?" Sutaru demanded.

"I don't know. I think he just needed someone to talk to who understands him." I smiled and Sutaru looked at Kitsuchi questioning. Kitsuchi shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, good job girlies you actually didn't fail." We turned and looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"Good to know you believed in us." Kitsuchi breathed sarcastically. Ryuunosuke-sensei shrugged.

"Anyway, I need you three to meet me in the usual place at noon tomorrow. I have a couple of more missions for you to do." We sighed but nodded anyways. Ryuunosuke-sensei nodded and then disappeared again.

"I hate it when he does that." Kitsuchi said angrily. I laughed.

"Well I don't know about you too but I'm exhausted." Kitsuchi and Sutaru glared at me darkly and I smiled.

"If you want exhausted we can give you exhausted." They both ran at me and I ran away.

"Aww, come on guys don't be like this."

"Don't worry Ayane, just hold still and we'll calm down!" Kistuchi called behind me. I continued to run and they were right behind me. I started to laugh. This was the first time in a long time that we had all been this happy, and there was no feeling greater than it in the world.


	6. Chapter 5: Separation

**Chapter Five**

**Separation**

"Please tell me the missions are gonna get better after this." Kitsuchi pleaded as we traipsed through more of the dingy swamp water. I sighed and wiped a bit of mud off that had fallen on my face. I quickly turned as I heard a scream.

"What's wrong?!" I asked concerned. Kitsuchi started to laugh.

"Sutaru just fell face first into the swamp!" Suddenly Sutaru burst out of the water and took a deep breath of air. She had fire blazing in her eyes.

"Where the hell is that damn cat?!" She screamed outraged. Suddenly I looked over at the sound of a small mew. There was the little kitten we had been searching for. I went over to it.

"Come here kitty." The small cat looked at me obviously afraid. I put my hand out for it to sniff first. It took a step forward and smelled my hand. Just when I thought it had begun to trust me it bit down, hard. I fell back and landed in the swamp. The cat, who had just decided let go, went flying through the air. Kitsuchi quickly jumped up and caught the cat before landing gracefully in the swamp. I slowly stood up. The entire back of me was dripping, muddy, and soggy. I sighed.

"Let's just get back to Ryuunosuke-sensei before I decide to practice my aim with that cat."

We managed to make it back to Ryuunosuke-sensei without anymore harm. I had a bandage over my finger and the water and mud on my back was beginning to dry. When Ryuunosuke-sensei saw Sutaru and me he burst out laughing.

"Did you have fun?" He asked. We glared up at him but he just continued to laugh even harder. Kitsuchi walked over to him and handed him the cat.

"It seems kitty has a favourite." Ryuunosuke-sensei said with a smirk. Sutaru and me crossed our arms and sulked. All four of us started to head back to the mission area to return the cat. When we arrived, the cat's owner, a plump, short lady with her black hair tied back in a bun greeted us happily.

"Oh, my sweet little Minu! Thank goodness you're alright!" She greedily picked up her cat from Ryuunosuke-sensei and started cuddling it.

"Oh mommy missed you so much! Those three girls didn't hurt you did they? I'm so happy you're safe!" She told the cat in a baby voice. Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I looked at each other and sighed. Suddenly the lady turned away from her precious cat and looked at us.

"Thank you so much for saving my cat."

"You're welcome." Ryuunosuke-sensei replied. The lady began to blush and slowly turned and headed back to the table. When she was far enough away Kitsuchi quickly turned to face Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"Please, please get us a better mission! If I have to go through that again I swear I'm gonna have to kill someone!" Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at me and Sutaru and we nodded our heads in agreement. He sighed.

"I can't get you any missions higher then a D or a C because you're still genin."

"Come on! We've picked herbs out of gardens, walked dogs, trained kids at the academy, volunteered at the soup kitchen, helped clean the ramen shop, and we even agreed to help take care of the babies at the hospital! All of those were D ranked missions! I think we at least deserve to get a C ranked mission this time!" Again, Sutaru and I nodded our heads. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked down at us and sighed.

"You really think you're ready for a C rank mission?" All three of us stepped forward.

"Yes!" We replied in unison. Ryuunosuke-sensei sighed again and then led us over to the table marked "C ranked missions". We stood behind him and eagerly waited to hear what we would be doing. We overheard a little of the conversation.

"You're sure that's it?"

"Yes, Ryuunosuke, that's all I can offer you." Ryuunosuke-sensei sighed.

"Alright we'll take the second one then." The other ninja nodded and handed Ryuunosuke-sensei the instructions of the mission. He went over them and then turned back to face us.

"Alright girlies, here's your first C rank mission." He handed us the paper. I took it and read it out loud.

"'_Dear Lord Hokage of Konohagakure,_

_I am pleased to announce that my daughter, Princess Kuroda, is coming to visit your beautiful village and will be staying for a week. I will send ninja to escort her there but I require that you please return my daughter home with ninja escorts from your village. I will, of course, pay you for your trouble. I hope to see my daughter home safely. She is in your care until then. I will await your reply._

_Sincerely,_

_King Roninu_'_._"

We all looked up from the letter and stared at Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"What?" He asked. We smiled and jumped at him. We embraced him in a warm hug.

"Thank you Ryuunosuke-sensei!" We yelled in unison.

"Yeah, yeah, now get off! You're making a scene." We let go and smiled brightly. It wasn't much of a mission, but at least it was better then rampaging through swamps to find a cat.

"So, where's the princess?" I asked.

"I'm right here." We looked past Ryuunosuke-sensei to see the princess standing in the doorway with two Konoha ninja on either side of her. She was a very pretty princess with bright blue eyes. Her auburn hair was very long and she had two strands tied back with yellow ribbons in a loop on both sides of her head and the rest of her hair split in two and fell in the back. She had side bangs that fell to the left side and the rest of her bangs were grown a little past her chin. She was wearing an elaborate kimono that was red, yellow, purple, blue, and turquoise. It was tied with a red sash around her waist. We all stepped forward.

"Hello, my name is Ayane Kikuchi." I said while bowing.

"My name is Kitsuchi Fure." Kitsuchi said while bowing.

"And I am Sutaru Sunake." Sutaru said while bowing. The princess smiled.

"You don't need to bow. My name is Kuroda Uinona and I'm very happy that you will be escorting me home." She bowed to us and we smiled.

"Oh, sensei you should introduce yourself too." I said. Ryuunosuke-sensei took a step forward and sighed.

"Hello, my name is Ryuunosuke Matsumoto, very nice to meet you." Sutaru, Kistuchi and I sighed. She was princess of an entire village and he sounded like he didn't even care. I suddenly looked over to the princess and saw her staring wide-eyed at Ryuunosuke-sensei. Her cheeks turned a slight pink colour and I smiled. I leaned towards Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

"Princess Kuroda has a thing for Ryuunosuke-sensei." They both looked and when they saw the princess and smiled brightly.

"Alright, let's get going." We looked up at Ryuunosuke-sensei and nodded. The princess said good-bye to the other two ninja and we all walked to Konoha's front gates.

When we got to the gates the guards opened them and we started on our way. After a couple of steps of walking the princess stopped and began to take off her kimono. We stopped and watched as she revealed another outfit under the first. She took the kimono and folded it before putting it back into her bag. Her travel clothes were much simpler. It was a dress with a red collar and had a blue over piece that covered her shoulders and fell into a point with a red outline around the point. The sleeves were long and purple with red trimming on the ends. The bottom half of the red was also purple with red trimming at the bottom. She had a red sash tied around her waist. To finish off the look she took out her long hair and tied it back in a messy bun. After she was done we started walking again. The princess took her spot next to Ryuunosuke-sensei. After we walked for a little longer I ran up and started walking beside her.

"So Princess Kuroda, where do you live anyway?" The princess looked at me and smiled.

"You don't have to keep calling me princess, just call me Kuroda, or Kuro if you like, and I'm from a small village that's about a two day journey from here and it's just outside Kirigakure. What about you Ayane? What village are you from? Oh wait, what a silly question, obviously you're from Konoha."

"No actually, I just moved here with Kitsuchi and Sutaru. I have to admit, I've never really had a true home, except for now." I smiled at her and she smiled back. Suddenly she looked to the side and blushed when her eyes fell on Ryuunosuke-sensei. I smiled and pulled her a little ways back behind Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"You like him don't you?" I asked. She looked at me and her face became a darker shade of red. She slowly nodded. I smiled.

"That's so sweet. I thought it would be impossible for anyone to actually like Ryuunosuke-sensei." She looked at me shocked.

"Are you serious?"

"She sure is. Ryuunosuke-sensei hates women." The princess turned to see Kitsuchi now walking beside her.

"He does?"

"Well, it's not that he hates them, it's just that they really annoy him." I explained.

"That's unusual." We started to laugh.

"Ryuunosuke-sensei is the definition of unusual." Kitsuchi said.

"What was that Dark Kitty?" We stopped as Ryuunosuke-sensei stopped. He walked over to us and bent down to our height. He glared at Kitsuchi and she glared right back.

"You know sensei, if you don't keep walking we'll never get there." He stared at Kitsuchi darkly and then continued walking. Kuroda took a deep breath.

"Wow, he's so cool." Kitsuchi looked at Kuroda and shook her head. I smiled.

"I have to admit, he is a pretty good-looking guy." I said.

"Well, I have noticed that a lot of the women in the village seem to all have a thing for him." Kitsuchi said.

"How can they not? I mean he's good-looking, and he's strong, and I guess you could say he's sort of has that bad boy attitude." We looked at the princess and laughed.

"Wow princess we really need to get you a better taste in men." Kuroda looked at Kitsuchi shocked.

"What's wrong with my taste in men?!" Kuroda asked defensively.

"Nothing, except for the fact that you have a major thing for Ryuunosuke-sensei. Of all the guys you must have seen in Konoha, he's the one you go and fall for." Kitsuchi shook her head. Kuroda started to defend herself again when I slowed down to walk beside Sutaru.

"What's wrong? You haven't said a word since we met the princess."

"I don't know what it is, but something about that girl makes me uneasy." I looked from the Sutaru to the princess and then looked back at Sutaru.

"You're kidding right?"

"No I'm not kidding. There's something about her I just don't trust." I looked at Sutaru. She wasn't kidding. She glared at the back of the princess's head and didn't take her eyes off of her even when we stopped to make camp. We sat around the fire and the princess managed to sit beside Ryuunosuke-sensei even though he didn't even acknowledge her presence. Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I sat beside each other.

"So another day or so of traveling and we'll make it to the Princess's village. You guys excited?" I asked. Kitsuchi shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess. I just wish we could do more then just take the princess home." I laughed.

"What about you Sutaru?"

"The sooner this mission is over the better." Sutaru said coldly. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. Kitsuchi leaned over.

"What's Sutaru's problem?" She whispered.

"She said before that she doesn't trust the princess." Kitsuchi looked at me shocked.

"Really? But she's so nice."

"You know how Sutaru gets. When she feels like she can't trust someone, then she can't trust them at all." Kitsuchi nodded her head. Sutaru always was good at first impressions, but this time it just felt like she was wrong.

The next morning we started off again. The sun was shining brightly and the princess guessed that we would be making it back before sundown. It was noon before we stopped again to get some lunch. We all ate in silence. Sutaru was still glaring at the princess even though we had been traveling with her since yesterday. I sat beside her.

"Why do you still not trust the princess? Nothing's happened yet."

"Believe me Ayane, I want to trust the princess, but I just can't. Something about her doesn't feel right…" Sutaru trailed off. Before I could ask she jumped at the princess, knocking her back. We all stood.

"Sutaru what the hell is your-" Ryuunosuke-sensei stopped talking as six shuriken flew out of the trees. We all jumped back. Sutaru and Kuroda stood up. Sutaru quickly pulled out a kunai and stood in a defensive stance. The princess stood behind Sutaru, too afraid to move. I quickly looked around. Whoever had attacked us was hidden in the trees. Kitsuchi walked over to me and we stood back to back.

"How many do you think there are?" I asked.

"Judging by how many shuriken were just thrown, either two or three. I doubt that there's only one since he would be easily outmatched." Suddenly two ninja jumped down at us. They had no headbands so right away we knew that they were just newly trained henchmen.

"Just hand over the princess and we'll leave you alive."

"And you really think we're gonna hand her over at a threat like that? Sorry, but we've heard it a few too many times to care." Kitsuchi retorted. The ninjas glared at us. They both lunged at us and Kitsuchi and I quickly jumped up. We turned to face each other in the air, put our hands together, pushed against each other and then flipped backwards. When we landed we took up the positions the two ninja had before us and faced each other. The two ninja collided. They quickly stood back up and faced us.

"I can't believe you actually fell for that one." I said. Kitsuchi laughed.

"That's the oldest trick in the book." The ninjas glared at us and jumped forward again. This time we stood our ground. Just as the ninja was about to collide with me I ducked, turned and grabbed him by the ankles. Before he could react I spun him around and hit him against a tree trunk. He slowly stood back up and went to punch me. I grabbed his hand before it hit me and as he went to punch me with his other hand I grabbed it as well. We were at a standstill.

"There's no way you can beat me in a test of strength. You're only a girl." I glared at him.

"I think before you start to judge me by gender, you should consider my ability first." He looked at me confused. I quickly glanced up at Kitsuchi. She was at a standstill like me. She quickly glanced at me and we smiled to each other. She blinked twice and I did the same. I turned back to face the ninja. Before he could react I bent his hands back and unsheathed by wrist blades. The blades went through his wrists and he yelled out in pain. When I heard Kitsuchi's enemy yell out I quickly flipped over him, while still holding his hands and threw him just as Kitsuchi did the same. They collided into each other's backs. Before they could get up again Kitsuchi and I ran forward and jumped. I threw the end of my rope at her and she grabbed it. When we landed we ran around them until they were tightly secured and then tied the knot. Ryuunosuke-sensei, Sutaru, and Kuroda came out from their defensive positions.

"Dark Kitty, Kichiku, I have to admit, that was pretty impressive, and Bright-eyes, good job on sensing their presence and quickly protecting the princess." Kuroda stepped towards Sutaru and bowed.

"Thank you very much." Sutaru nodded her head.

"No problem." Ryuunosuke-sensei walked over to the two ninja and sighed.

"Kichiku, Dark Kitty, did you really have to go this far?" He pointed to my opponent's bleeding wrists and the giant slash across Kitsuchi's opponent's chest. I sheathed my wrist blades as Kitsuchi sheathed one of her crescent moon blades and we both shrugged. Ryuunosuke-sensei quickly bound their hands and feet and bandaged their wounds. When they came around we stood in front of them.

"What were you two doing coming after us?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked.

"You'll have to kill us! We're not going to tell you anything!" Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at the three of us. We sighed and took a step towards them. We bent down to their level.

"Look, we may not look it, but we are all highly trained in the techniques of torture. My techniques lie in physical torture with blades." I said. I unsheathed one of my wrist blades and dragged it slowly across my opponent's face. He started to shake.

"And as for me, I'm skilled in both blades and using fire to slowly and painfully torture my enemies. I absolutely live for the thrill of hearing them scream." Kitsuchi smiled darkly and both of the ninja began to shake.

"And you may have not seen me in action, but when it comes to torture, the mind is my specialty. I can make you see things that you could only imagine in your nightmares, but trust me, they're the farthest thing from fiction." Sutaru smiled darkly and her bright green eyes sparkled. The ninja swallowed and we took a step back.

"So I'm going to ask you again. Why were you after us? You better tell me or else I can't be held responsible for their actions." Ryuunosuke-sensei nodded his head towards us and we all smiled darkly.

"Ok, ok, we were sent to kidnap the princess."

"We were offered a lot of money if we brought her back to our employer but he's probably going to have us killed now that we failed." They both started yammering on and on about how they didn't want to be tortured and how they were just in it for the money. When they finally shut up Ryuunosuke-sensei walked over to us.

"Man what babies." Kitsuchi said.

"Did you get any other good information?" I asked.

"Apparently their employer's name is Ebiru Uinona. All he really wants the princess for is to use her for ransom money and then be on his way. We turned to look at the princess. She looked at us and sighed.

"I knew you weren't to be trusted." Sutaru breathed angrily.

"No, I'm sorry for not telling you, but father made me promise not to."

"But why?"

"Well, our village is at war right now with Ebiru's village."

"And who's Ebiru?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked.

"Ebiru is my uncle." We stared at her shocked. She looked at the ground and continued.

"My village and Ebiru's village was once a larger village that was joined together and ruled over by my grandfather. On my grandfather's deathbed he didn't say who was to be the next leader of the village and there were many fights between my uncle and my father as to who should rule the village. In order to keep the entire village from falling apart they merely decided to split it in half. My father would rule the south while my uncle ruled the north. Things were perfect for a couple of years but then the north village began to fall into debt. My uncle was always paranoid that they would be attacked, so he taxed the people and used the money to build artillery that the village didn't need.

"When times became too hard for my uncle to handle he asked my father for help. My father refused and said that it was Ebiru's fault his village was in such disarray and that he would have to work to fix it himself. My uncle was furious with my father and declared war on the southern village. My father knew something like this would happen so he readily prepared for the attack. The war started about five years ago and still hasn't been resolved, though the battles are less frequent. My father sent me to Konoha to see what it was like in a village that was full a peace, but he also sent me here because lately kidnappers have been entering my home to try and kidnap me.

"We quickly figured out it was my uncle who was sending the kidnappers and then we learned that he figured if he kidnapped me, then he could demand that my father give him the money and the southern half of the village. If my father did that then my uncle promised he would end the war, but my father won't give in and probably never will until I'm captured."

"So in order to protect you he has ninja following you at every waking moment and even tried sending you away to see if the kidnappings stopped?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked. The princess nodded and he sighed.

"Well, if the ninja are like those two then getting you home will take longer, but we will make it there, I can promise you that." The princess looked up at Ryuunosuke-sensei and smiled brightly.

"Well, Dark Kitty, Kichiku, Bright-eyes get your things together and always be on alert for attacks. Understand?" We nodded and did as Ryuunosuke-sensei asked. We started on our journey right away and stood defensively around the princess. After another four hours of walking there wasn't a single attack.

"Do you think maybe they've decided to stop trying?" I asked.

"Doubtful, they're probably just biding time, waiting for when our guard is down until they attack." Kitsuchi replied. We continued to walk and when the sun began to go down we stopped again.

"So much for getting there before sundown." Sutaru said coldly.

"Well even though it felt short, that fight set us back longer then we figured. We'll have to camp for another night and take watches." Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I groaned but waited for Ryuunosuke-sensei to tell us who would take the first watch.

"Ayane, you can take watch first. Kitsuchi, you take second, and Sutaru you can have third."

"What about you?" Kitsuchi asked.

"I'll sleep beside the princess. If the sun hasn't risen by the time your watch is over Sutaru, wake me and I'll take the last watch. Stay up for about three hours and then wake the next person. Understand?" We all nodded our heads and I couldn't help but smile at the princess's face. She was practically beaming. I sighed and watched as the sun slowly faded behind the horizon. As soon as we had eaten and everyone was settled I found a perfect spot and sat to keep watch.

The entire time I was up in the tree I couldn't help but feel a weird sense of déjà vu come over me. I smiled to myself as I remembered the day when Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I first entered the village. I sighed to myself and looked around. The fact that I didn't know this forest as well as I had known the other made me very nervous. Maybe it was just me being paranoid, but I still couldn't help but feel like I was trapped in an unknown area. I kept looking from my left to my right and stopped when I started to get a little dizzy and my neck began to hurt. I decided to rest it and I lied down on the tree branch I was on. I stared up at the stars and couldn't help but admire them. They were so free from the problems of the world. They didn't have to worry about families, being pursued by others, being forced to always be on alert even when you knew you were perfectly safe.

I sighed again and sat up. All that thinking was making me feel depressed. I turned to look at the small clock that I had set up. I still had another two hours of watch left. I yawned and unsheathed my wrist blades. They were covered with the dried blood of the enemy ninja from before. I pulled out my wash cloth and decided that cleaning my blades would make time go by a lot faster then it was at the moment. When I was done and I looked at my blades. They shined in the starlight and I smiled at my reflection in them. I looked up when I realized that I couldn't see the stars anymore and saw the dark clouds quickly covering the sky. I turned to look at the clock and saw that my time was up. I quickly jumped down to get Kitsuchi. It took a couple of small shakes before I could manage to get her awake.

"Oh, is it my turn?" She asked.

"Yeah, and I suggest you take something to cover up with. It looks like it's going to rain soon." Kitsuchi looked up at the sky and nodded. She quickly left and I quietly covered our camp with a small tarp we had brought with us. I managed to cover us without making too much noise. I finally settled myself in and slowly started to drift into a deep sleep.

-Kitsuchi-

I sat up in the branch that Ayane had pointed out and settled myself in. I kept going over the fight that had happened earlier in the day. I was so excited that we had actually gotten into a real fight. Ever since we arrived in Konoha I've been completely bored. There was no one strong enough to fight and since we were still only genin we weren't allowed to take more interesting missions. I looked up and the pitch-black sky. The clouds had rolled in a lot faster and were starting to build up. I quickly grabbed the rain gear I had brought and put it on. I couldn't see anyone from where I was but I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. The feeling quickly disappeared and I started to think about what the princess had told us before. I couldn't believe that she had come from such a harsh surrounding. I also couldn't believe that she had the guts to lie to us. I smiled to myself.

I was beginning to grow bored so I pulled out my crescent moon blade that I had used earlier. The blood was already dried on it and I decided to clean it before it stained. I took out my wash cloth and pulled it slowly back and forth across the surface of the blade. The back and forth strokes seemed to soothe me and I became quite calm very quickly. When the blade was cleaned I returned it to its sheath and looked back at the clock. It was already time to switch shifts with Sutaru. I shook my head in disbelief. Normally, cleaning my blades only takes at most an hour, but this time it took all three. I must have been more relaxed then I figured. I quickly jumped down to the camp just as the rain began to fall. I found everyone huddled together under the tarp that Ayane had set up and smiled. I walked over to Sutaru and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Sutaru slowly woke up, turned over and got up.

"My turn?" She asked while yawning.

"Yeah, better take this." I handed her the rain cloak. When she looked at me skeptically I pointed to the tarp and she nodded as she heard the rain beating against the top. She slowly got up and knocked off the water that had already formed a puddle in the middle of our shelter before heading towards the tree. I yawned and made myself comfortable before sleep took over me.

-Sutaru-

I slowly made my way into the tree. The rain was beating down on my head and was becoming very annoying very quickly. When I got into the tree I made a quick sweep of the area. I couldn't sense an enemy so I sat down and relaxed. I turned to look at the camp and glared darkly at the spot where the princess slept. I wasn't sure why but even though she had come forward and told us the truth I still didn't feel like I could trust her. This feeling was beginning to make me wonder. Why did I distrust her as much as I did? I decided the best thing to do was to meditate and maybe I would have a vision of what was making me feel this way.

I closed my eyes and started to focus to see if I could find what was really causing me to hate her so much. I began to drift off into half consciousness. At first everything around me became much sharper and clearer. I searched for any sign of an enemy ninja. When I couldn't sense anyone I went to the next stage of my meditation. Soon everything around began to melt away and I was surrounded by nothing but my own presence. I concentrated and soon saw a dark figure with pale green eyes staring back at me. The eyes were so blank and emotionless. They seemed to be staring at me but at the same time they were looking out into the distance. Something about them made me feel sympathetic and made me also wonder about my own true existence. Soon I became more curious about this figure but when I tried to see more the figure quickly vanished. I opened my eyes and began to wonder what it all meant. Was that figure the cause for my dislike for the princess? But why? And who was it?

I shook the thoughts from my head and looked at the clock. I still had forty-five minutes left. I slowly looked up at the sky as the rain began to stop and watched as the clouds quickly dispersed. I looked out to the eastern horizon and saw the sun begin to rise. I turned to face forward and was about to make myself comfortable again when I heard a faint crack. I quickly jumped up and tried to find who or what had made the sound. I looked everywhere and finally I caught sight of a pair of bright blue eyes staring coldly at me. I glared back and was about to call out to the others when a cold hand covered my mouth and restrained my arms.

"If you want to live I suggest you keep quiet." A deep voice whispered to me. I couldn't believe that he had managed to get so close to me without my noticing him. I couldn't believe that I was so naïve to try to find out more about the figure that I had forgotten my duty and had put everyone's life in danger. I glared back at the dark figure that had caught me and tried to struggle free. No matter what I did I couldn't even make him budge. I suddenly became frustrated and started squirming as hard as I could.

"Control that brat before she gives us away!" One of them ordered quietly.

"I'm trying, but it seems she has a lot of fight in her." The arms held tighter but there was no way I was going to give up without a fight. Suddenly I felt a strike against my head and stopped moving. I was still conscious, but I couldn't move or feel my body. My eyes grew wide and I could feel the panic building inside.

"We better get outta here before those other ninja catch up." The ninja who had me nodded and they were about to jump when voices began resonating throughout the forest.

"Sutaru!" I glanced over and could see Ayane, Kitsuchi, the princess, and Ryuunosuke-sensei coming towards us.

"Damn it." The ninja who had me whispered under his breath. He jumped back and the other two ninja with him stood their guard. I watched as Ayane, Kitsuchi, Kuroda, and Ryuunosuke-sensei stopped in front of them.

"Give Sutaru back to us!" Ayane demanded. The ninja who held me chuckled.

"I'm afraid I can't just hand her over that easily. If you want her back then you'll have to give me the princess in exchange." I could see the scared face of the princess in the growing light.

"Don't do it! Don't give her to him! Take her back home and make sure she's safe! I'll be fine. Just don't forget what our mission is!" I pleaded. Ayane and Kitsuchi stared at me and I could see, no feel, the sadness in their eyes.

"Sutaru, we can't just abandon you!" Kitsuchi said the sadness growing in her voice.

"Kitsuchi, Ayane, Ryuunosuke-sensei, you have to get the princess back to her home." I told them with as much earnest as I could manage. Ayane and Kitsuchi stared at me and anger flared in their eyes. Before anyone could say anything they both jumped at the two ninja and began to fight them. The ninja who had me chuckled.

"Quite the little friends you have there. Souji, Heisuke, kill the two brats, and Atsuto, fetch the princess." The third ninja who was beside us jumped at Ryuunosuke-sensei and they both began to fight. Ayane was at another standstill with the ninja named Heisuke. They glared at each other and he swiftly tripped her and punched her in the face. She flew back and crashed into a nearby tree. She quickly stood and jumped back at him. Kitsuchi was throwing kicks and punches at Souji and he was dodging and blocking them like they were in slow motion. He suddenly threw a kick and sent Kitsuchi flying into another tree. She slowly got back up and a small trickle of blood dripped down her chin.

I felt the tears sting my eyes and knew I couldn't let this continue.

"Stop!" I yelled out. No one seemed to notice my outburst and continued to fight. Kitsuchi and Ayane were losing their battles and Ryuunosuke-sensei was having trouble with his.

"Please just stop!" I yelled out again. Still no one listened. The number of cuts and bruises Ayane and Kitsuchi suffered continued to grow. They had blood dripping from their mouths and faces as well as from the rest of their bodies. They did manage to get some hits in, but they were still losing badly. I couldn't let this go on. The tears were falling freely from my eyes and no matter what I did I couldn't help them. I was just another burden that they had to take care of. I felt the anger begin to form in the pit of my stomach. I promised myself that I would never be a burden on anyone ever again, and there was no way I was going to give up on that promise.

"Stop…it!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Suddenly barriers surrounded everyone and they could no longer fight. Kitsuchi and Ayane sat in their barriers panting. I somehow managed to move the barriers together so that Ryuunosuke-sensei, Kuroda, Kitsuchi, and Ayane were together and the ninja who we had been fighting with were together as well.

"Sutaru, what are you doing?!" Ayane demanded.

"Ryuunosuke-sensei get Kitsuchi and Ayane out of here. I'll be fine."

"But Bright-eyes…" I looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei with pleading eyes.

"Please just go." The tears fell down my face and Ryuunosuke-sensei nodded. He went towards Kitsuchi.

"No, get away from me sensei! I'm not going anywhere without you Sutaru!" She screamed. She ran at the barrier and began hitting the side of it with her fist. Ayane followed Kitsuchi and did the same.

"Sutaru, we're a team! We stick together no matter what the circumstances! We live together and we die together! That's the way it's always been and don't think we're about to let you change that!" She screamed at me. I managed a weak smile.

"Please get the princess home." I asked. Ayane and Kitsuchi's bodies became stiff and they both fell to the ground unable to move. I couldn't express the sadness I felt forcing to do that to them but I had no other choice. They stared at me with tears welling up in their eyes.

"I guess the fun's over. Let's get outta here." The ninja holding me said to the others. They nodded and turned to leave. Before he left the ninja who had me turned to face the others.

"If you want your precious _Sutaru_ back, then come to the clearing just outside of the northern village. We can settle things there." He smiled evilly and began to jump away. I heard Ryuunosuke-sensei picking up Ayane and Kitsuchi.

"Sutaru don't do this!" I heard Ayane scream.

"Sutaru!" I heard Kitsuchi yell after, but it was too late. Ryuunosuke-sensei had jumped off and the ninja that had taken me had already left the area. My body was exhausted from the strain I had to go through to put up the barriers and cause Kitsuchi and Ayane to be unable to move. I felt my eyelids begin to grow heavy and the sounds of Ayane and Kitsuchi's screams echoed through my mind as my eyes closed and I fell into darkness.

-Ayane-

My breathing was fast and shallow as Ryuunosuke-sensei placed me back on the ground. He had carried us away from Sutaru and I had no idea how far she was away from us now. I looked over at Kitsuchi and saw the tears falling down her face.

"Why…why did you make us go?" I asked Ryuunosuke-sensei through long heaves.

"If I didn't we all could have died."

"But we just left her! We could have stayed. We could have fought against them. We could have-"

"Ayane there's many things we could have done but not under those kinds of circumstances."

"We could have saved her! You could have gone off with the princess and we could have stayed!" I was screaming at him now.

"There was no way I was going to leave anymore of you behind!" He yelled back.

"But you left Sutaru!" I screamed.

"I had no other choice!"

"Yes you did! She's our friend! You don't understand anything about us! You think that just because we've known each other for the past couple of weeks we understand each other, but you're wrong! You don't know anything about us!"

"Ayane I did the best I could! Sutaru wanted us to be safe and complete the mission!"

"Stop acting like you know her! She's out there somewhere with those ninja! I could care less about this mission! I want Sutaru back!" Suddenly Ryuunosuke-sensei bent down to me and grabbed my wrists.

"Stop acting like a spoiled brat and saying things like that!" He yelled at me. Suddenly visions of a figure appeared in my head. The words Ryuunosuke-sensei said to me echoed through my mind, but in the voice of…_him._ I tensed.

"_Ayane, how many times do I have to tell you not to speak to me that way?... Ayane you're nothing but a spoiled brat, get out of my sight…Ayane you're nothing but a disappointment to me…and your mother." _I screamed and began to swing my arms. Ryuunosuke-sensei flew back as a punch hit him in the middle of the forehead. I began breathing faster and faster and tears were falling faster then before. Kitsuchi quickly ran over to me.

"Ayane, please calm down."

"I-I-I can't he's…he's here." I brought my hands up to my head and closed my eyes.

"Make him go away Kitsuchi. Make him disappear! He's taken everything away from me!" I began to scream. Kitsuchi hugged me and she stroked my hair.

"Ayane it's ok. He's not here, he's gone."

"But I can feel him! He won't go away!" I screamed. She continued to try and comfort me but to no avail. I could here the voice of sanity in the back of my head telling me that I had just punched my sensei and that all of this was foolish and childish, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make my body agree with the voice.

I wasn't sure how long it had been since my anxiety attack began but I was still going through it. It wasn't as strong as before but I was still trapped inside the cage of my own fears. I slowly took my hands from my head and looked up to see that the sun had come and gone and Kuroda and Kitsuchi had gone to sleep. Ryuunosuke-sensei, however, was still awake in the same place he had landed before and was staring at me. I stared back at him and he suddenly stood and walked over to me. He took a seat beside me and I tensed.

"I'm not going to yell anymore." He told me. I slowly nodded my head and relaxed.

"Is the anxiety attack over?" He asked again. I looked up at him skeptically but shook my head anyway.

"Kitsuchi told me that you've never had an anxiety attack like that before." I shook my head. It was true. The worst attack I ever had lasted for seven hours and that was after we met _him_ during our travels.

"When they told me before that you had anxiety attacks I didn't think they were as bad as that. I have to admit, that was a pretty amazing punch." I couldn't muster a smile so I looked up at him with apologetic eyes. I think he got the message because he shook his head.

"Don't apologize. It was my fault for talking to you like that. Personally I think I deserved a good punch too." My anxiety was slowly disappearing and the seclusion was setting in, but I still managed a smile this time.

"This is the first time you three have ever been separated isn't it?" I nodded and my lip quivered slightly. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at me sympathetically.

"Is the princess ok?" I whispered. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at me shocked as if it were the first time he had ever heard me speak.

"Y-yeah, she's fine. After Kitsuchi explained everything to us she actually felt very sorry for you."

"I see. Ryuunosuke-sensei?"

"Yes?"

"Do you really think Sutaru wanted us to just leave her like that?" I asked.

"She told me she did with her eyes." I looked up at him.

"Her eyes?"

"Yes, something in her eyes told me that what she wanted most was for you and Dark Kitty to get away. I don't call her Bright-eyes for nothing." He looked at me and pulled his rare smile. I smiled back and slowly stood.

"So when will we go after Sutaru?" I asked.

"Not until we return the princess to her father." I looked down at Ryuunosuke-sensei and I could tell that from the look on his face that my expression was a little darker then I meant it to be.

"Once we return the princess to her father we can ask him if he can lend us some help to get Sutaru back. I slowly nodded my head and headed over to the place that was made for me by Kitsuchi. I lied down and made myself comfortable.

"Oh and Ryuunosuke-sensei?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't yell at me like that again or I will kill you." I told him before I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up the next morning before the sun rose. I turned over and found that Kitsuchi's place was empty. I slowly stood and walked towards the area where I felt her presence. I found her sitting in a tree watching the horizon. I jumped up and sat beside her. We sat there for awhile without saying anything when Kitsuchi suddenly spoke up.

"You think Sutaru's alright?" I turned to look at her. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

"I think so. They wouldn't hurt her if they want the princess in exchange." My voice was calm and sounded braver then I felt. The seclusion had set in and I was now emotionless.

"I suppose that's true. Is the anxiety over?"

"Yes, I am now nothing but an empty shell, soon to be filled by my former soul." Kitsuchi looked at me.

"You're a completely different person when you get like this." I sighed.

"I am, and I know it. I also find it easier to cope with things when I can't feel my emotions, so I suppose that can sometimes be a positive thing." Kitsuchi turned back to the horizon and nodded.

"Did Ryuunosuke-sensei say anything about saving Sutaru?"

"He said that we would bring the princess back and then ask for help before heading to the spot and saving her."

"But what if we don't make it in time?" She demanded.

"Then we will go the next day, and keep going until we find her. We already know that she's being held in the northern village, so we'll go there and rescue her if we have to." She nodded again.

"I don't know why, but something is very calming about you when you're like this."

"It's probably because if I were to cry, you would cry too, if I were to laugh, you would laugh too, or if I were to go on a rage, you would to. The human's first instinct is to act as the others around them do. That's why if you are around people who are sad you find it hard to feel happy. That's why in times like these it is easier to have no emotions at all."

"I suppose so." We looked up as the sun began to rise.

"Today is the day we will save Sutaru."

"And we'll crush anyone who tries to get in our way." I looked at Kitsuchi and nodded in agreement. We both turned back to the horizon.

"Sutaru I hope you're listening, because today we will save you." We said in unison.

We came back to camp just as the princess and Ryuunosuke-sensei were waking up. Ryuunosuke-sensei eyed me and refused to come close to me. I understood why and at the time, I could really care less. We began our journey again, only we were one person short. I stayed behind the group and walked with a blank expression on my face. Kuroda looked back at me every so often but only for a couple of seconds before turning back to face forward. After about four hours of walking we finally arrived at what appeared to be two giant gates. The princess smiled brightly and ran forward. We followed behind. When we got to the gate we stopped.

"Who's there?!" Someone yelled down at us.

"Open the gates, it's Kuroda Uinona and I've come home."

"Oh, hello princess, who're the three others with you?" The gatekeeper asked.

"These are the ninja from Konoha who escorted me home. Now please open the gates, there's something very important I need to speak with my father about."

"As you wish." The gatekeeper called down to someone on the ground below and soon the gates were open. We strolled in and entered a village that resembled Konoha. The houses were all very nice and well kept and there were restaurants and busy people running to and fro. Everyone we passed bowed to the princess and she kindly returned their greetings. Before long we were nearing the end of the lower town and entering the upper town, although both areas looked exactly the same. Eventually we made it to a large mansion.

"Well, this is my home." The mansion was huge with windows almost covering the entire house. There was a beautiful garden planted around the house and the house itself was completely white with a black roof. The princess led us inside and showed us up to what was her father's study. She knocked three times and waited.

"Yes, who is it?" An agitated voice sounded from the other side.

"Father, it's Kuroda." We heard the quick shuffling of feet and the door quickly sung open.

"Oh Kuroda! My Kuroda I'm so glad you're safe." The king hugged his daughter tightly. She looked at us and the smile she had quickly fell. She forced her father to let go of her.

"Father there's something very urgent I need to talk to you about." The king looked from her to us and must have seen the expressions on our faces.

"Oh dear, please come in and tell me what happened." He quickly led us into his study and gave us all a seat. I refused to sit and stood up against a book case. We watched and listened as the princess explained things to her father. He sat and listened to her entire story. After she was finished he sat back in his chair and began to think. Eventually he looked up at us.

"What you have told me touches my heart greatly, so I will help you to get your friend back. It's the least I could do for protecting my daughter." Kitsuchi and Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled. If I could smile I would but I just stared at the king.

"I will give you any men I can for now, but what if those men see that the princess is not with you?"

"We already have that covered. Ayane show them." I sighed and took a step forward. I made the o-hitsuji hand sign.

"Transform!" My body soon transformed into the princess and the king stared wide-eyed at me. He looked from me to the real princess, and then back to me again.

"I can hardly tell the difference."

"Hardly?" I asked coldly in the princess's voice.

"Yes well you're eyes are blank and expressionless. My Kuroda's eyes are always bright and cheerful, even when she's upset." I sighed and turned back into my normal self.

"She is my daughter, so don't feel saddened by the fact that I could tell the difference. Right now I can tell you that there is no way those other men will know." Ryuunosuke-sensei nodded.

"But what if they ask where Ayane is?" Kuroda asked.

"If they do we'll just tell them that she stayed here to make sure they didn't try anything funny." The king nodded.

"Very well then, when will you head out?"

"We'd like to go as soon as we can, _if _you two can handle it." Ryuunosuke-sensei replied while turning to look at us. Kitsuchi and I nodded our heads saying that we could. Kitsuchi's "other self" allowed her to heal very quickly, and I could handle anything those monsters could dish out. Ryuunosuke-sensei nodded and the king nodded again. He then stood up and walked over to a nearby communicator. He pressed a small button.

"Yes, I need you to send as many men as you can spare. Yes it is of the utmost importance. Very well, we will meet you down by the gates. Thank you." He pressed the button again.

"My men will meet you down by the front gates. I wish you the best of luck in saving your friend, and please come to see us before you go back to your village."

"Yes please I'd like to say good-bye before you go." The princess said with a bright smile.

"We will come and see you before we go, now if you'll excuse us we need to save Sutaru." Ryuunosuke-sensei told them. The king nodded and we slowly left the study. Before we left the house I transformed back into the princess.

"How long can you stay like that?" He asked me.

"As long as it takes to get Sutaru back." I replied. He nodded and we left the mansion.

We met the king's men at the front gates, there were about twenty of them and they all grew wide-eyed when they saw me approaching.

"Why is the princess with you?" One of the ninja asked.

"Ayane show them." I undid the transformation and they all stared at me in disbelief.

"So you really are as good as they say. Nice to meet you, my name is Konomaru and I'm the leader of the king's second brigade."

"If you're the leader then why are you here?" I asked.

"I came back here because of an injury and they haven't sent me back yet. When I heard the king had a mission of utmost importance I came as soon as I could." Konomaru was a tall, lean guy, and looked about twenty-five years old. His hair was straight, silver, and fell down just past his chin. His bangs fell over his left eye. He was wearing a skin tight, black shirt that had the sleeves ripped off. He wore baggy, white jeans and his right cartilage was pierced twice. He had an "X" scar on his right cheek and bandages going up his arms to his elbows. He smiled brightly at us.

"Name's Ryuunosuke." Konomaru and Ryuunosuke-sensei shook hands.

"And who are the two girls with you?"

"My name is Kistuchi."

"And I'm Ayane."

"These two are my genin students."

"Genin? And already they're that skilled. Very impressive. Now what exactly is this mission we're going on?"

"One of the other team members, Sutaru, was kidnapped in place of your princess and we are going to be the ones to get her back."

"I see, and Ebiru's men were the ones who took her?"

"Yes they were and we want her back." I replied. Konomaru nodded his head.

"Well if she means that much to you, then I guess we have no other choice. Men prepare yourselves for a fight we're bound to never forget!" The other men all cheered. I quickly turned myself back into the princess and we made our plan. Konomaru's men were to hide in the nearby trees. When the time was right they were to come out and attack the enemies. While the ambush was on it was me and Kitsuchi's job to grab Sutaru and then jump back, then together all three of us would join in the fight. It was a solid plan and we were staying with it. Ryuunosuke-sensei, Kitsuchi, and I were the first to leave the village. _Don't worry Sutaru, there's no way in hell that me or Kitsuchi will fail this time, no way._


	7. Chapter 6: Ayane's True Self

**Chapter Six**

**Ayane's True Self**

We started out as soon as we could. The sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing cheerfully. But now was not the time to admire the weather. Sutaru had been kidnapped, and Kitsuchi and I were going to save her this time. I walked slowly beside Ryuunosuke-sensei. He kept glancing down at me every few minutes, but whenever I returned his stare he looked away.

"Am I making you uncomfortable sensei?" I asked. He suddenly looked down at me.

"N-no it's just hard to see you like this." He replied. I sighed.

"If I make you uncomfortable you can tell me. My seclusion makes many people uncomfortable, and I have threatened to kill you more then once now, and I'm very sure Kitsuchi and Sutaru explained what happens when I say I will." He nodded.

"You haven't killed me yet though, so I suppose that's a good thing." Ryuunosuke-sensei said trying to lighten the mood.

"The reason I haven't killed you yet is because I threatened to kill you for two different reasons. If the reason had been the same then we would not be walking beside each other right at this very moment." Ryuunosuke-sensei stared at me shocked and stopped walking. I continued on and was soon walking beside Konomaru, the ninja who promised to help us get Sutaru back with his brigade. He looked down at me and when I looked at him he smiled.

"That transformation is very impressive." I looked down at myself. I had been chosen to transform into a clone of the princess so we wouldn't have to worry about the real princess Kuroda getting in the way.

"Yes, I try to do my best." I replied in a monotone voice. We suddenly stopped and two ninja of Konomaru's brigade appeared in front of us.

"Sir, we scouted ahead and couldn't find the captors anywhere."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes sir."

"I see, good work." The two ninja nodded and Konomaru turned to Kitsuchi, Ryuunosuke-sensei and the rest of his brigade.

"They haven't arrived yet." Ryuunosuke-sensei sighed.

"Then what should our next move be?"

"At this time the only thing we can do is keep at least two men on watch until they arrive." Ryuunosuke-sensei nodded.

"I suppose you're right. Looks like we're going to have to just sit here and wait." I looked up at him and he slowly shook his head. I slowly walked over to a tree and sat underneath it. Kistuchi joined me.

"Are you ok Ayane?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I replied. I picked up a small twig lying beside me and began to slowly break it into little pieces.

"Are you sure?" She asked slightly worried.

"I'm fine Kitsuchi, please stop asking." I replied again breaking the twig into smaller and smaller pieces wondering what was the best way to completely destroy those monsters.

-Sutaru-

I took a deep breath and the smell of cold, wet stone filled my nostrils. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in a dark cave. My wrists and ankles were bound and I had something tied around my mouth.

"Well, well, well, looks like she's awake." A deep voice sounded out. I recognized this voice, but couldn't quite place who it was. Suddenly a rush of memories appeared in my mind and everything came back to me. I began to struggle slightly.

"And she's still trying to fight her way out." I recognized the voice of Atsuto. I tried to say something but my voice was muffled by the cloth.

"Take that stupid cloth off, there really isn't any need for it. No one's going to hear her." Heisuke demanded. I felt warm hands on my face and the cloth slowly came away.

"So, what did you want to say?" Atsuto asked. I glared at him.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked.

"In a cave." Heisuke replied.

"Yeah, I think I kinda got that when I noticed all the rocks." The three ninja laughed.

"I like this one, she doesn't seem to have any fear in her at all." Atsuto said darkly.

"Yes, but if she's not careful she's going to get herself hurt." I felt a cold blade fly by me and felt the warmth of my blood trickle down my left cheek. I glared at the figure who had cut me. He smiled darkly down at me.

"Screw you." I said coldly. His smile quickly disappeared and I felt a warm hand quickly slap me across the face. I heard a faint laugh from the one called Souji but I stayed firm. I didn't cry out, I didn't even whimper. I had already been through too much pain to care. I slowly turned back to look at him, fury raging in my eyes.

"Deruku, if you keep that up you're going to mark that pretty face." I felt Atsuto come close to me. He bent down to my height and put his index finger under my chin. He lifted my head up and turned it from side to side. He gazed at the cut on my cheek and the red mark on the other.

"I hope this doesn't scar, it'll completely ruin you."

"Well, it seems Atsuto has taken a liking to our little hostage." Souji said. I glared at him and then turned back to Atusto. He was still gazing at my wound. I pulled my head away.

"Don't touch me."

"What's wrong, do I make you nervous?" He smiled darkly.

"As soon as I get out of here, I'm going to have so much fun watching you die by my hand." I replied darkly. He looked at me and continued to smile. He slowly stood back up.

"And I'm going to have fun watching you try, my pretty princess." He walked away and out of sight. I sighed. It took awhile before my heart beat returned to a normal pace. We would be leaving soon and I couldn't wait until I could fight again with Kitsuchi and Ayane.

-Ayane-

"Sir Konomaru!" One of the two ninja on watch came running over to us.

"Yes, what is it?!"

"They've arrived and they have the girl with them." Kitsuchi and I quickly jumped to our feet.

"Was there anyone else with them?"

"No, just the girl and four other ninja, we couldn't see any reinforcements."

"I see, good work." The ninja nodded and disappeared. Konomaru turned to look at us.

"So are we ready to execute the plan?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked. Konomaru nodded.

"Yes, but there's something about this that I don't like. Why didn't they bring any reinforcements with them? It's not like Ebiru's men to head into a fight without some kind of backup."

"Maybe they aren't alone." Kistuchi said. Konomaru turned to look at her.

"My men are some of the greatest fighters and trackers in our village, they would have noticed if anyone else was there."

"Yes, but what if their fighters and trackers are just as good? They could easily hide themselves as well as your men could." Konomaru nodded.

"I suppose that's true. We will still continue with the plan and have my men close by just incase things decide to take a turn for the worse."

"Things aren't going to take a 'turn for the worse' and I'm going to make sure of it." I told him. He stared at me shocked but didn't say anything else.

We slowly headed towards the clearing. Konomaru figured the slower we headed there the less chance of the other ninja panicking and doing something they'd regret. We soon made it to the clearing. The three ninja were standing above Sutaru. I felt something inside pull me towards her, but I stayed beside Ryuunosuke-sensei. She looked up at me and made a questioning face. I quickly made a small notion to make sure she knew to keep quiet and she didn't say a word. I looked up at the three ninja and could finally see them clearly.

The ninja I had fought, Heisuke, was the tallest of the four and looked about thrity years old. His black hair was tied back in a long ponytail. He had a mid-part that fell to the left and right of his face and went down just past his chin. It reminded me a little of Sasuke, but I quickly erased the thought. His dark, amber eyes reflected his hatred for the other village. He had a single scar going from above his left eye down just past his nose. He was wearing a black sweater and baggy black pants. He had bandages around his wrists and had a long kunai with chain strapped to his left side.

The ninja Kitsuchi had fought, Souji, was the shortest of the group but looked around twenty-five years old. His light brown hair was short and spiked in the front. His bright blue eyes were luminous and very observant. He was wearing a skin-tight, white t-shirt and black baggy pants. He had the tattoo of a dragon going from the top of his right arm to the tip of his middle finger. He had black sweat-bands around both wrists and he was holding a single sword that had small ridges sticking out of it. He smiled darkly at us.

Atsuto, the ninja who had attempted to take the princess, was only a few inches shorter then Heisuke but looked like he could only be eighteen. His dark blue hair was short and spiked, except for his bangs which fell over his left eye and went past his chin. His bright green eyes followed us but he continued to glance down at Sutaru. He was wearing a black "V" neck shirt. The collar of the shirt opened down near his stomach and his chest was visible. He was wearing black pants that opened up at the bottom and had a red sash tied around his waist. He was holding very long elbow blades and smiled darkly when he noticed me glancing down at them.

The last ninja was about an inch shorter then Heisuke and was easily forty years old. His bleach blonde hair was short and slicked back, except for a few small strands that fell over his forehead. His red eyes were glowing against his pale skin. He had one scar on his left cheek, and a second one on his right. He wore a baggy, black body suit that had red streaks on it. He had a wide and long katana tied to his side with a red belt. He stared at us darkly and had no emotions on his face. We continued to walk forward until he put his hand up asking us to stop. We did as he commanded.

"We see you have brought us the princess." He said darkly.

"And it's good to see that the hostage is in one piece." Konomaru replied. I stared at her and had to disagree, though it was only faint I could see a cut across her left cheek and the signs that she had been slapped on her right.

"So are you the only ones here?" He asked.

"Yes. Are you the only ones?" Konomaru asked them.

"Yes we are. Now hand over the princess and we'll be glad to give back our little hostage." Atsuto looked at the ninja with a questioning look and the ninja just made a face telling him to back down. Right away I knew that they weren't planning on giving her back.

"Wait, where's the other girl?" Heisuke suddenly asked.

"Which other girl?" Konomaru asked.

"The other one with the dark brown eyes. She's not here."

"We left her back at the castle to watch over the princess Kuroda and king Roninu." Ryuunosuke-sensei quickly replied.

"Do you mistrust us that much?" The unknown ninja asked. Konomaru just glared at him, giving him an understandable answer. The unknown ninja sighed.

"Yes, yes we feel the same way, now hand over the princess." Konomaru grabbed my arm and began to slowly walk forward. I walked beside him when suddenly Atsuto grabbed Sutaru and jumped back.

"Atsuto what the hell are you doing?!" The unknown ninja demanded.

"That's not the princess!" He yelled back.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to put as much emotion in my voice as I could.

"That's not her. The way she walks is different from the princess. The princess glides when she walks and has a habit of putting one foot in front of the other as if she was walking a line. The real princess also always starts walking with the left foot, looks down at her feet and counts three steps before looking back up. Whoever that is hasn't done any of that. It's an imposter." The three other ninja jumped back. I had to give Atsuto some credit, his powers of observation were almost as good as Sutaru's.

"Well, if that's not the real princess, then who the hell is it?" Souji asked. I looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei and he nodded. I quickly transformed back into my normal self. They stared at me completely shocked.

"What are you trying to do Konomaru? Are you trying to make fools of us?!" The ninja demanded. Konomaru glared at him and he glared back.

"Fine then, if you like to play games, then let's play." The ninja said darkly. Suddenly ninja began to jump out at us. Soon we were surrounded by at least thirty other ninja. I ran over to Kitsuchi and we stood back to back.

"How are we going to get Sutaru now?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, we need to think of something." I nodded. The ninja laughed as they looked at us.

"Screw this! Come on out and join the fun!" Konomaru yelled. Soon his men all flew out from the trees and each of them jumped on the other ninja. Soon, small battles were all around us. The entire time I was thinking of how to get Sutaru back.

"Kitsuchi?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a feeling that the only way we can get Sutaru back, is if we somehow separate her from those other ninja." Kitsuchi looked over in their direction and nodded her head.

"Alright, let's go." I nodded and together we managed to make our way over to where Sutaru was without using up any energy. We stood in front of the four ninja and Sutaru.

"Aww, if it isn't princess's little friends." Atsuto said. We glared at them.

"Give us Sutaru back." We demanded.

"Or what? You'll completely destroy us like you did last time?" Souji asked sarcastically. I glared at Souji.

"Wait, something's different about her." Heisuke pointed out while staring at me.

"About who? Blondie over there?" Atsuto asked.

"Deruku, look into her eyes. What do you see?" The unknown ninja, Deruku, stared at me and his eyes grew wide with wonder. Souji and Atsuto did the same and their eyes grew wide as well. I only stared at them, wondering what they were looking at.

"Your eyes reflect nothing, except for an undying wish to see us all die." Deruku stated. I stared at him wondering how he had seen all that from just looking into my eyes.

"I don't care what you can see, just give us back Sutaru." I demanded.

"And what are two little girls like you going to do if we don't? You're clearly outnumbered." Souji stated. Suddenly Ryuunosuke-sensei jumped to stand between me and Kitsuchi.

"Don't forget, you've also got me to worry about." Deruku sighed.

"Alright then, if you want a fight, you've got one. Souji, take out that girl with the silver eyes, Atsuto take the girl and get out of here. Heisuke, take out Blondie and I'll take care of him. The other ninja nodded and soon we were all in our own battles. I tried to run after Sutaru, but my way was quickly blocked by Heisuke. I unsheathed both my wrist blades and ran at Heisuke. There was no way anyone was going to stop me from saving her this time.

I ran at Heisuke and he quickly dodged the attack. I ran at him again and again but every time he dodged the attack without following up with a hit.

"If you keep running at me like that you're never going to defeat me." He finally said.

"Says who?" I asked.

"Well I figured after the first couple of tries you would have figured it out." I glared at him.

"I just want my friend back."

"And all I want is peace, but it doesn't seem like either of us is going to get what we want."

"Wait, what do you mean you want peace?" I asked.

"Fighting to me is such a trivial thing. I would personally just like to leave and go home to read, but I unfortunately can't. I joined to fight in this war because I thought I could do something for my village, but I was wrong. The war has only made the village worse, which is why I'm also fighting so hard to get the princess. If taking the princess will bring peace, then I'll be happy to do it." I stared at him.

"There are many ways to end a war that don't end with someone being taken from their home for ransom money."

"You are right, of course, but I'm afraid the world isn't quite that easy. Neither side is about to give up and I have a feeling that this war will never end until one side's leader dies." I sighed.

"Killing someone to solve a problem isn't always my favourite thing to do, but if I have to, I will." Heisuke stared at me.

"You have changed from when we first met. You've become so cold and emotionless. What happened?" He asked curiously.

"That is none of your business." Heisuke smiled.

"Yes, how rude of me to impose, now, shall we continue?" I nodded and Heisuke jumped at me. I took a deep breath and dodged the attack. Heisuke was right, it was easier to fight when I was calm and not running at him constantly. It was like my mother always used to say, "sometimes a good defense is the best offense". Heisuke unhooked his kunai with chain and we stood staring at each other. He threw the chain at me. I quickly put my hand up and the chain wrapped around it. I looked up at him and he smiled darkly before pulling the chain. I flew forward. He pulled the chain up and I went with it, before he smashed me into the ground behind him. I slowly stood back up and quickly undid the chain. He pulled it back and spun it around his head.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me." He stated. He threw the chain at me again, but this time I put both arms up and made an "X" shape with them. The chain wrapped around them and I smiled darkly at him. Before he could react I pulled at the chain. He was suddenly lifted off his feet and I spun him around before undoing the chain and throwing him into a nearby tree. He crashed into the bottom of it and cracked the trunk. He looked up at me and smiled as blood began to fall down his chin.

"Impressive."

"There's more where that came from." I told him. He smiled again, stood and wiped away the blood.

"Well then, show me." He stated before running at me again.

-Kitsuchi-

Both my crescent moon blades were drawn and my enemy still wasn't dead yet. This was quickly becoming very irritating. We stared at each other, both of us panting from the effort. I had some bruises and cuts along my arms and legs, as did he. Our skills as swordsmen were evenly matched.

"You're pretty good, for a girl." Souji suddenly said.

"You're not so bad yourself, for an old man."

"'Old man'? I'm only twenty-three!"

"That's still eleven years older than me." I said smiling darkly. He glared at me.

"I think it's about time I teach a little brat like you to respect your elders."

"Bring it on grandpa!" Souji jumped at me and I dodged the attack. I suddenly tensed as pain ran down my left arm. I looked down at it to find blood pouring profusely from it. I had a large gash just under my left shoulder. I looked up and Souji smiled. That's when I noticed it. The ridges on his blade somehow grew. Then I noticed the blue glow emitting from them. Souji looked at my shocked face and smiled.

"This blade, Soujin as I like to call it, is a family heirloom. Every first born son in my family receives this blade from his father and then passes this blade down and so on. The glow you see is my chakra. I push it from my hand through the blade and use the chakra to push the ridges out and make them longer and sharper. Pretty neat trick, don't you think?"

"Impressive, but you see, trick or not no one's ever beaten me in a sword fight before."

"Really? Well then show me what you've got!"

"Sorry, but you're not good enough to handle my true power. If worse comes to worse I'll have to show you my secret trick." I said with a smirk.

"Really? What's your special trick?" Souji asked with complete interest. I pulled my finger across my lips.

"Sorry, but I'll never tell."

"Too bad, I really wanted to see it." Souji said with a baby voice and a fake sad expression. I smirked and quickly jumped at Souji. Just like I predicted, he dodged the attack. I quickly jumped up, turned, sheathed my sword, and threw six shuriken at him before unsheathing my swords again and landing gracefully behind him. Three of my shuriken hit their target. One hit the right arm, one hit the left ankle, and the last hit the right shoulder. Souji cringed in pain as he pulled them out. He slowly stood up straight and glared darkly at me. I put my right hand up and beckoned him to come. His stare became deadly and he jumped at me again. Our swords clashed in mid-air and I had to turn every second to block his next attack. His speed was incredible and it was hard to keep up with his normal blade _and_ the ridges at the same time. Finally I found an opening and struck out. I missed my target, but it gave me the chance to jump away.

I stood, panting, as Souji turned to face me. The deathly glare was gone but I could still see the lust for my death in his eyes. I lifted my blades up in a defensive stance, and he did the same with his Soujin. We stared at each other for a quick second, before jumping at each other again.

-Sutaru-

Atsuto had carried me quite far from the clearing before he stopped. I could still hear the clash of Kitsuchi's blades, but it was very faint. Atsuto continued to run and I realized that if I didn't do anything, no one would ever be able to find me again. I lifted up my arms and swung them around, hitting Atsuto in the face. He went to the side, dropped me, and crashed into a tree. He was slightly dazed and I calculated that I had twelve seconds before he would come back to his senses. I took this chance to escape. I crawled over to him and quickly grabbed one of his kunai. It took me three quick movements to cut the ropes around my arms and another three to cut the ropes around my ankles. By the time I was done and had stood Atsuto was already standing. He glared at me.

"There's no way I'm going to let you go back to them, you belong to me now, Deruku promised."

"I don't really care. I'm going back to my friends and if you get in my way I will have to kill you." Atsuto laughed.

"Like I said before, I can't wait to see you try princess." I smiled darkly and jumped at him. He dodged my attack, but not before I managed to grab my carrying case that he had attached to his left leg. I quickly attached it to myself just as Atsuto recovered. He jumped at me with great speed and punched me in the face. I flew backwards but flipped in the air and landed on my feet. I ran at Atsuto and pulled out six shuriken. Before I reached him I threw the shuriken straight at him. He dodged the attack, which I planned him to, and used the gap between the two of us to head back to the clearing. By the time he had realized what I was doing, I was already half-way back. He was following behind and catching up. I threw kunai and shuriken at him, but he still managed to keep pace with me.

I finally decided that the only thing I could do was try a fire ball jutsu, after all, I had seen Kitsuchi do it thousands of times before, why shouldn't I give it a try? I wasn't expecting it to do much, but it would at least create a larger gap between us. I turned and did the hand signs: hebi, o-hitsuji, saru, ousu-buta, uma, and finally tora.

"Fire Style, Fire Ball Jutsu!" To my surprise a fairly large fire ball emitted from my mouth. Atsuto had to jump back to dodge the attack, which gave me more time to escape, and created a large gap between us. I heard him scream out with rage but continued to run. Finally I could see the opening that led to the clearing, a couple more steps and I could finally be rejoined with Kitsuchi and Ayane. The light filled my eyes and I ran out into the open clearing. I looked around and finally caught sight of Kitsuchi and Ayane.

"Kistuchi, Ayane!" I screamed. They pushed back their enemies and stared at me. Kitsuchi smiled brightly and Ayane stared blankly at me. I ran towards them and they completely ignored their opponents and ran at me. We embraced in a warm hug and didn't want to let go ever again. Suddenly we heard a scream of rage and the three of us turned so that we were back to back. We prepared ourselves for attack in unison and were soon acting like nothing had changed.

-Ayane-

All three of us glared at our opponents who stood around us.

"It seems princess escaped." Heisuke commented.

"Yeah, what happened Atsuto, you were supposed to watch her." Souji complained.

"Don't worry about it, she may have gotten away from me once, but there's no way I'm going to let it happen again. Princess is mine and no one else can have her." Atsuto threw me and Kitsuchi a death glared and right away I knew that this guy was completely insane. We continued to glare at each other when a thought struck me.

"Sutaru?" Sutaru smiled.

"Kitsuchi?" Kitsuchi's smiled brightly.

"Hell yes." I nodded and ran forward. Thinking I was coming for him Heisuke stood in a defensive stance. Before I reached him I quickly turned around and put my hands together to make a tight cup. Kitsuchi was right behind me and jumped up into my hands. I quickly threw her up as hard as I could. She turned in mid-air while making the hand signs. Hebi, o-hitsuji, saru, ousu-buta, uma, and tora.

"Fire Style! Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Suddenly small bursts of fire came from Kitsuchi. She aimed them right at Sutaru. Sutaru quickly made her barrier and the small fire balls ricocheted off it and at our enemies. Heisuke and Atsuto were fast enough to dodge the attack, but Souji wasn't so lucky. The fire balls aimed at him hit dead on. He fell to the ground on one knee and cringed in pain. Burn marks covered his skin where he had been hit.

"Damn it!" He screamed. Kitsuchi landed beside Sutaru and I ran back to stand beside them. I stood in the middle with Kitsuchi on my right and Sutaru on my left. I managed to smile with them.

"Together we stand and together we fight." Kitsuchi began.

"Together we live and together we win." I continued.

"Together we lose and together we die." Sutaru finished.

"That is our nindo, our ninja way!" We finished in unison. Before anyone could say anything else we separated. I ran straight ahead, Sutaru took the left, and Kitsuchi took the right. I ran at Heisuke and before he could react I jumped over him and continued to run. Kitsuchi had already made it to her position. I jumped at her and she caught me by the ankles. She quickly spun me around once and threw me back at Heisuke. I put my fist out and punched him as hard as I could. He flew back and collided with Atsuto whose view had been blocked by Sutaru. Sutaru ran over to us and we took up our positions from before. Heisuke and Atsuto stood back up and glared at us.

"Alone we are strong, but together we are unbeatable." We said in unison again. Kitsuchi smiled brightly and jumped in front of me and Sutaru. She made the same hand signs again.

"Fire style! Fire Ball Jutsu!" She surrounded us in flame.

"What the hell?! Are they insane?!" We heard Souji yell. I looked at Sutaru and she smiled. Together we left the fire shield and ran at Heisuke and Atsuto. They tried to block our attack, but were unsuccessful. I punched Heisuke and Sutaru kicked Atsuto. They flew and collided with each other again. We ran towards the two of them and suddenly Souji flew over to hit Atsuto and Heisuke. We smiled as Kitsuchi ran towards the small group we had formed. We headed towards them then jumped, flipped in the air, pulled out six shuriken each, and threw them at the three men. We landed opposite each other and waited. Heisuke was the first to stand. All six of my shuriken had hit him and he slowly pulled each of them out. Atsuto was the second to stand. Four of Sutaru's shuriken had hit him and he pulled them out. Souji was the last to stand and he had five of Kitsuchi's shuriken sticking out of him. It took him longer, but he managed to pull them out.

"Are we sure these are the same girls we fought the other night?" Souji asked.

"Yes, together they seem to be a very formidable team. Quite impressive."

"Forget getting the princess, if we were to bring these three back we could make them get the money for us."

"And what makes you think we'd do what you said?" I asked coldly.

"You obviously won't, but with a little torture that can all be changed." Heisuke replied darkly.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to kill us before we come back with you willingly." Kitsuchi said with a dark glare.

"Well then if you insist, I suppose we have no other choice." The three ninja stepped forward and stood beside each other.

"Together you're strong, but if we break that, then we break the team." Atsuto said darkly. Sutaru, Kitsuchi and I braced ourselves for an attack. When nothing happened we slowly let our guards down. Suddenly Heisuke pulled out what looked like a whistle. He blew it but no sound came out. We looked around.

"That was it?" Sutaru asked. Suddenly we heard large footsteps heading towards us. We looked around wondering where they had come from. Suddenly six large men appeared out of the trees. They were giants, at least seven feet tall with muscles bulging from every part of their bodies.

"Who the hell are they?!" Kitsuchi demanded.

"These are the Muantetsu. They are humans like you and me, but they are genetically altered. They are the king's new weapons and they were going to be used soon to finally destroy the southern village. I figure now is a better time then any to test them out."

"Using humans for experiments like this is…completely disgusting."

"You can judge them all you want, but they'll be the ones who will send you three to an early grave."

"No, not princess! You all promised you'd leave her alone!" Atsuto complained. He sounded like a five year old talking about his favourite toy. Heisuke sighed.

"Fine, don't kill princess. Just brutally injure her for now." The six Muantetsu nodded that they understood and ran at us. The ground shook with each footstep. Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I jumped back as they came at us. Kitsuchi turned on one of them and slashed it with one of her crescent moon blades. The Muantetsu screamed out in pain and bled blue-green blood. Kitsuchi waited. The Muantetsu slowly stood back up and lunged at her. She managed to dodge him but not before he grabbed her ankle. He threw her hard and she hit a tree on the other side of the clearing.

"Kitsuchi!" I heard Sutaru yell. She suddenly glared darkly at the Muantetsu and lunged at it. She pulled out a kunai and jumped all over it. By the time she was done the Muantetsu fell defeated. She headed for the next one but it grabbed her before she could do anything and threw her. She landed beside Kitsuchi.

"Sutaru!" I screamed. I looked up as five of the Muantetsu stepped towards me. I felt the anger begin to boil inside me.

"No one…hurts my friends." I breathed through clenched teeth. Before anyone could speak I lunged at them. I unsheathed my wrist blades and jumped up. I fell, head first, on the first Muantetsu. I dug my wrist blades into his shoulders. He yelled out in pain and I completely ignored him. I threw myself forward and at the same time threw down the Muantetsu. I heard a crack as his neck broke on impact. I turned to the next one. I ran at him and brought my wrist blade up, slicing him down the middle. He stumbled back and I finished the blow by beheading him. The lifeless body fell and the head rolled away. I turned to the third and finished him quickly with a straight stab to the stomach. I pulled my wrist blade out to the left and the blood poured profusely from the large wound. The fourth stood completely still. I smirked and ran at him, digging my wrist blade into his throat. He fell back without even a gasp. I turned to find the fifth one and he took a few cautious steps back. I smiled darkly and lunged myself at it. It tried to run but I jumped up, grabbed his head between my thighs, twisted him sideways, and flipped him to the side. His head was turned and faced the other way, the neck broken.

I flipped back and took a fighting stance with a circle of Muantetsu bodies surrounding me. Their blood stained the ground and their bodies stayed motionless, completely destroyed and unable to get back up again. I turned to see Kitsuchi, Sutaru, Ryuunosuke-sensei, Konomaru, Souji, Atsuto, Deruku, Heisuke, and all the other men around staring at me wide-eyed.

"Ayane…that was…I mean…" Sutaru couldn't string together her sentence properly.

"What the hell Ayane?! Where did that come from?! And why didn't you leave me any?! Damn it!" Kitsuchi stamped her feet in anger.

"I-impossible. Those Muantetsu are indestructible. It's hard to defeat one, let alone five at once!"

"They hurt my friends, and that is something that I can never forgive." I said calmly. Heisuke stared at me completely taken aback. It was obvious he couldn't believe that I had just killed five of his precious Muantetsu without even breaking a sweat, and the fact that I was so calm perplexed him further.

"This is getting ridiculous, let's just get this over with! Heisuke you obviously need to teach those idiots some skills before they can face ninja but for now let's just kill these brats and go home!" Souji yelled out. Heisuke suddenly snapped out of his zone and glared at me.

"Five long years of pain-staking research, only to be wasted on a single fight and against such a small opponent. This is unforgivable, and I will make you pay." Heisuke glared darkly and lunged at me. I dodged his attack but not before he stopped himself, turned on his hands, and kicked me back. I flipped and landed on the ground. I lunged myself at him and we began to fight close-combat. My wrist blades against his kunai with chain. This was a fight to the end, and only one of us would be coming out of it alive.

-Kitsuchi-

I still couldn't get over what Ayane had done. I had never seen her react like that before. She must be deep in her seclusion or else she wouldn't have gone that far. I watched as she fought with Heisuke, when I sensed something coming towards me. I jumped back and blocked an attack just as Souji appeared. His Soujin clashed with my crescent moon blades and we glared at each other. I pushed him back and pulled my second blade up. He jumped back, but not before my blade caught his shirt and sliced it open. He flipped back and glared at me.

"Lucky shot." He spat.

"If that was to be a lucky shot then it would have killed you." I replied. He lunged at me again and I blocked his attack. His wounds were hurting him, I could see it in the way he fought me now. His confidence was gone and he was merely fighting to defend himself and his comrades. I lashed out at him and managed to gain some fair ground. He didn't falter, though he knew he was losing. He fought back as hard as he could andI pitied him. I could see the sadness in his eyes as he realized that he would not be coming home from this fight and it saddened me more. I fought as hard as I could, knowing that if I faltered even once he would notice and push himself even farther to win. I pushed him back and jumped about three feet away from him.

"Why are you doing this?!" I demanded. He stared at me.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why are you fighting? You're already badly injured, why don't you just give up?"

"Because, I can't do that. I promised my father when he died that I would fight until the end to avenge him, and I'm not about to break that promise. My father meant everything to me and when he died it was like a piece of me went with him. I won't give up, not until that piece of me is restored!" He lunged at me again and I blocked the attack again. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he beat down on my blades. He suddenly bent down and swung his sword. The tip made contact with my stomach and caused a large cut across it. I held the wound as the blood poured out of it. He turned and came at me again. I knew that if I wanted to win this fight I would have no choice but to kill him. His eyes burned with the desire to see me die and I cringed beneath them. I managed to escape his next attack and jumped back. The blood was still pouring from my wound and I felt my eyes turn violet at the smell of it. I had to finish this quickly. He lunged at me again.

"My father died because of that bastard that you're fighting for! I will make you pay, all of you! Die! Die! Die!" He screamed as he beat down on my blades again. I suddenly became angry and jumped to the side. He turned to face me again and before he could lunge I jumped at him and stabbed my blade through his chest. He fell back and twitched slightly. I bent over him and he looked up at me. Tears were falling down his face. He tried to get up again but cringed as pain flowed through his body. He laid back and sighed. Realizing that he was going to die he looked up at me.

"So this is what it feels like to die. I always wondered if it would hurt this much." He coughed up some blood.

"I'm so sorry." I told him. Tears stung the corners of my eyes.

"Father are you proud of me? I wasn't able to avenge you and…I'm…sorry." He coughed up more blood.

"You're father…is very proud of you…I know it. You don't have to apologize for anything." I told him. He smiled.

"I suppose not. My father always did say it was better to forgive and forget. I wonder if I'll see him when I die."

"I know you will."

"Can you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Can you please take the Soujin? I have no son to hand it down to and you're the one who defeated me, so I suppose it belongs to you now."

"But, you can't give this to me." He shook his head.

"You're the only one who can have it. Take it and please take good care of it." I slowly picked up the blade and nodded.

"I'll protect it with my life." He smiled.

"I have a feeling that you will." The tears were now falling down my face. He smiled.

"Huh, who would have thought a girl like you would cry for a person like me." He smiled and I smiled back.

"Well, I've always been kind of soft like that." He laughed but stopped as it caused him more pain. He coughed up more blood.

"Too bad though."

"What do you mean?"

"I never got to see your special trick." I smiled.

"Sorry I didn't show you."

"No big deal. Just, could you tell me what it is?" I nodded and leaned over him. I whispered the trick into his ear and he smiled.

"So that's it. That's pretty awesome." I smiled.

"Yeah I guess you could say that." He coughed up more blood, but suddenly smiled.

"I don't believe it."

"What?" I asked.

"That piece of me I thought I had lost is back. It's like I'm finally whole again." I nodded.

"I'm happy you found it." He smiled.

"So am I…it feels good…to be whole…again…" He trailed off and his eyes lost their pallor. I clenched my fists and the tears fell from my eyes and landed on my hands. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to die?! He was just trying to avenge his father's death. I hated how my only choice was to kill him. I looked down at his sword and wiped away my tears. _I will keep my promise and I will protect this blade with my life. You can count on me Souji, I promise you that_. I closed his eyelids and stood. I looked over and saw that everyone was still trapped in their own fight. I didn't want to get in the way of Sutaru and Ayane's fights, so I ran to join the huge mess in the middle of the clearing, wondering how many other people would have to die until this was over.

-Sutaru-

I glared at Atsuto and he glared back at me. His arm was bleeding and I had a small trickle of blood falling down my chin. I wiped it away.

"How much longer are you willing to fight me?" I asked him.

"As long as it takes until you are mine."

"But I'll never be yours! What part of that do you not understand?!"

"Shut up! You are mine! You're mine and no one else's!" Suddenly he lunged at me again. I dodged his attack but just barely. His elbow blade just missed my nose and cut off a few strands of my hair. They slowly fell to the ground and I glared at him.

"No one touches my hair." I said through clenched teeth. He smiled. This time I lunged at him and pulled out my kunai. I struck out at him and he dodged my attack. He grabbed my hand and flipped me over his back. I landed on the ground and had the wind knocked out of me. I gasped for breath and he bent down and held his face just above mine.

"How does it feel when it seems like you have no hope in winning?" He asked me. I screamed and tried to punch him in the face. He dodged it and jumped backwards. He laughed.

"You know princess you're very cute when you're angry."

"Screw you!" He laughed again.

"Your anger is quite amusing, come on, say something else." I glared at him.

"Forget this." I lunged at him again but before reaching him I stopped myself, flipped over him, and sliced him across the back. He yelled out in pain. I jumped back and he glared at me.

"That…wasn't very…nice princess." He said.

"I was never really good at being nice." I replied and smirked.

"Then I'll just have to fix that." He whispered before lunging at me again. I dodged as many attacks as I could. Suddenly he lunged out at me and his elbow blade stabbed through my left shoulder. If I had been any slower he would have hit my heart. I screamed out in pain. He dug the blade in further. Every time I cringed in pain and screamed.

"Yes, keep screaming, your pain is quite amusing." He laughed. I looked up at him. His eyes were dark and completely wild. I had to get out of this and finish the fight soon or he was going to kill me. I took in a deep breath and grabbed his blade. I slowly started to push it back. He tried to dig his blade in deeper but I still managed to push it forward.

"No, what are you doing? Stop it!" He yelled. I ignored his cries and soon pulled the blade out. I quickly jumped back. My shoulder and hands were bleeding but I had more important things to worry about. I put my hands up and began to focus my genjutsu. I put my hands together to form the hand sign of my clan. All five fingers on my right hand stayed extended while my left hand closed over it making half of the hebi hand sign. The sign I was named after. Sutaru Sunake. The Star Snake of the Sunake clan. I smiled and opened my eyes. I suddenly began to teleport around him. Stopping every so often to see the look on his face.

"W-what are you doing? Stop it princess, I don't like this game anymore!"

"This game of yours is about to come to and end." I replied. I slowly pulled out my kunai and cut him every time I passed. Finally he fell to the ground with gashes all over his body, the fatal attack a stab to the chest. I released the sign and stood above him.

"So, princess has some skill of her own after all." He coughed as blood filled his mouth.

"Yes, and consider yourself lucky, most people never see that skill." He smiled.

"Is that your present to me then princess? The last thing I'll remember of you before I die?"

"I guess if you want to think of it that way then fine. I can't refuse a dying man's last wish." He smiled.

"Too bad it has to end like this. Oh well, I suppose that's how it's meant to be."

"Yes I guess so." He coughed up more blood.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye princess…see you…in the…afterlife." With his final words he died. I sighed and turned to walk away. I hated having to kill people, but when I had no other choice, I couldn't stop myself.

-Ayane-

Heisuke and I glared at each other. I had a few small cuts on my arms and torso, while he had many larger cuts all over his body.

"How did you become so powerful? When we fought for the first time you had maybe a quarter of the skill you have now."

"When a friend gets kidnapped people change and will do whatever it takes to get them back." I replied. He smiled.

"I see, so all of this is because we took your precious friend? I wonder what you'd be like if we killed them both instead." I glared at him.

"Even try it, and I'll kill you before you can draw your weapon." I said darkly. He smiled again.

"Really? Then how about we test this theory?" Suddenly he jumped to the side and ran from the fight.

"Damn it!" I yelled before running after him. Heisuke was fast and I had trouble catching up. Suddenly I looked up to see his target, Sutaru. I tensed and ran as fast as I could. He lunged out at her and everything after that seemed to move in slow motion. I heard Sutaru yell out, a sickening slicing sound, and it wasn't until I felt the pain run through my body did I realize that I had been stabbed. I looked to the side to see the stab wound in my right shoulder. I stared up at him.

"Well, well, well, aren't we noble." He laughed.

"S-Sutaru, are you ok?" I asked.

"A-Ayane, why did you…?"

"Because, I don't know if I'd be able to survive if you, or Kitsuchi, were to be killed, especially by him." I said. I glared up at him and his smile quickly faded. I quickly brought my fist up and punched Heisuke in the face. He flew back and I followed, his kunai with chain still sticking out of my shoulder. I ran ahead of him before he hit the ground and kicked him. He flew in the other direction and I followed. I stopped before him again, ripped the kunai with chain out of my shoulder, and lashed out at him. I cut his back and then kicked him again on the wound.

I went back and forth, doing more damage every time. Finally I allowed him to fall. He tried to get back up and his entire body was shaking. He coughed up blood. I went over to him and put my foot on his wind pipe, pressing down slightly. He coughed.

"Now how does it feel? To realize that your death is only mere minutes away? The major question now is how should I kill you? Should I crush your wind pipe and kill you quickly? Or should I slowly add more pressure and make you suffer first?" I asked. He stared up at me.

"If you're going to kill me, then get it over with. I could care less how you do it." He said glaring up at me. I smiled.

"If you insist." I was about to crush his wind pipe when I felt a strike of pain come over me. I bent over and coughed up blood. I looked up and saw what had happened. While I was speaking, Heisuke was slowly pulling his kunai with chain over to him. Just when I was about to kill him he managed to get it into his hand and cut me with it. The gash went from the top of my right shoulder, down to my left hip. Blood poured from the wound and the area around me began to dim slightly. I glared at him and he smiled triumphantly.

"You may kill me now, but I doubt it will be long before I see you again." He began to laugh and I glared darkly at him.

"You bastard!" I managed to lift myself off the ground and stood over him. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him up. I flipped him over me and threw him as hard as I could. He flew and hit a tree. I ran forward and unsheathed my wrist blades again. I stood above him and continued to stab him, over and over again. His blood splashed up and stained my face. I wanted to stop, I knew he was dead, but I couldn't bring myself to.

Finally I managed to pull myself away. His body was covered with blood and he sat lifeless in front of me. I stared down at my hands. They were shaking violently and had blood all over them. I slowly stood, but fell down in one knee as pain shot through my back. Blood was still falling from the wound and I coughed up more blood. I knew I had to get back to the others, or I was going to die. I slowly stood up and began to walk forward. Slowly I made it closer and closer to the middle of the clearing. Every move I made hurt and I coughed up more and more blood. The area was becoming dimmer and dimmer as I went. Soon I could see blurs ahead of me. I fell to my knees but never stopped moving.

"K-Kitsuchi…S-Sutaru…" I breathed. Suddenly I could hear voices though they sounded distant.

"Ayane? Ayane! Sutaru hurry and get over here! Ayane? Ayane can you hear me?! Please answer me." I opened my mouth to answer but could only manage to cough up more blood.

"Ayane? Kitsuchi what the hell happened?!"

"I don't know! Ayane? Ayane please stay with us!" I began to lose strength in my arms and legs and collapsed on the ground. The voices became more hysterical and scared.

"H-he's dead…" I breathed.

"What?" I heard a voice ask.

"H-he's dead, and I-I killed him…"

-Kitsuchi-

I stared down at Ayane's body. The wound across her back was deep and bleeding. I looked at Sutaru. Her eyes had filled with tears like mine had.

"H-he's dead, and I-I killed him…" I looked at Ayane. Her eyes were now closed. I panicked and quickly checked her pulse. Her heart was still beating, but was growing fainter with every passing second.

"We have to stop the wound from bleeding. She's already lost too much blood." Sutaru quickly said. I nodded and fumbled with my carrying case. I soon had bandages in my hand and we began to cover the wound. Blood quickly stained the bandages but we soon managed to stop the bleeding. We slowly turned Ayane over. Her face was completely blank and I continually checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive.

"What are we going to do? We have to help Ryuunosuke-sensei but we need to watch Ayane." Sutaru asked. I clenched my fists and anger began to boil inside me.

"You watch Ayane, I'm going to put a stop to this here and now." I slowly stood up and walked to the middle of the field. There was a line on the left of the enemy, and another line on the right of the allies. I walked right out into the middle.

"Dark Kitty are you insane?! Get out of the way!" I ignored Ryuunosuke-sensei and glared at Deruku.

"I'm going to make you all pay." I whispered under my breath. My eyes were glowing violet and the fire flared in them. I quickly made the hand signs. Hebi, o-hitsuji, saru, ousu-buta, uma, tora, nezumi (rat), usagi (hare), o-ushi (ox), tori (bird), inu (dog), tora, hebi, and ryu (dragon). I opened my eyes and felt the heat encase my body.

"Secret Jutsu, Poro Roco!" Suddenly the flames burst from me. I put my arms out to the side and felt them wash over me. The waves of flames quickly engulfed the other side. I listened to the screams as the men slowly burned alive. I looked up to see that Deruku had jumped away and avoided the attack. I smiled. I had the perfect thing in mind for him. When I felt the time was right I released the jutsu and the flames quickly disappeared. All that was left was a giant burn mark and the completely charred corpses of the enemy men. Deruku jumped back down and stared in disbelief at the damage I had caused. I glared at him. He turned to leave but a barrier suddenly surrounded him. I looked over to see Sutaru glaring darkly at Deruku. I looked at Ayane. She was still not awake and at this point I wasn't sure if she was still alive or not. I looked back at Deruku and made hand signs for my next jutsu. Inu, saru, tori, uma, nezumi, o-ushi, hebi, ousu-buta, ryu, uma, tori, inu, tora.

"Secret Jutsu, Frozen Acid Jutsu!" Sutaru opened a small hole big enough for the mist to enter through. I controlled the mist and forced it into the barrier. I watched as Deruku slowly disappeared from sight in the mist. Suddenly he jumped at the barrier and desperately tried to claw his way out. He held his throat and his eyes bulged. He suddenly fell backwards. I closed my eyes and after about five minutes opened them again.

"Sutaru you can lift the barrier." Sutaru nodded and the barrier disappeared along with the rest of the mist. Everyone looked over to see the corpse of Deruku lying on the ground. His hands still were covering his throat and it looked like he had gone through a lot of suffering. His entire body was frozen and I glared maliciously down at it. I stepped forward and crushed the torso with my foot. The entire body shattered, leaving nothing but the head. I turned to face Konomaru.

"Take the head and let anyone know that if they ever even consider kidnapping the princess again, that the same fate will befall them." Konomaru swallowed and nodded. I turned back to face Sutaru and ran over to her. Ryuunosuke-sensei quickly followed.

"Kitsuchi what the hell was that?! A girl your age shouldn't even be considering killing someone unconditionally like that. It's just not right."

"And neither is what they did to Ayane!" I yelled at him. He looked at me confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked. I moved aside and walked over to Ayane's wounded body. Ryuunosuke-sensei stared down at her completely shocked.

"Is she…is she still…?"

"Yes she's still alive, but her heartbeat grows fainter every second. We have to get her back to the village, and soon." Sutaru instructed.

"But, who did this to her?"

"Heisuke probably, he was her opponent." I replied.

"Well, where is he?" Sutaru and I shrugged our shoulders. Suddenly we heard a yell and looked up. Ryuunosuke-sensei ordered one of the men to stay by Ayane and watch over her. We quickly ran over to the source of the yell and our eyes grew wide. We found Heisuke's body, and it was completely mutilated. He had stab wounds all over his body including his torso, arms, legs, and head. We stared down at it and couldn't even speak. What Ayane had done to the Muantetsu was bad, but this, this was just terrible. Ryuunosuke-sensei put his hands on me and Sutaru's shoulders and pushed us away. Even though I could no longer see it, the image stayed in my head as I walked over to Ayane's wounded body. I looked at her face and found it odd that she seemed completely calm. I never thought seclusion would change her as much as it did. I can only hope that we can get our Ayane back, that this won't change the way things used to be, and I hope that Ayane never has to show her true self ever again.


	8. Chapter 7: New Opponents

-Ayane-

**Chapter Seven**

**New Opponents**

-Ayane-

I was completely surrounded by darkness. I looked to my left, then to my right but there was nothing but darkness. I sat down and pulled my knees up to my chest. I crossed my arms and stayed like that.

"Where am I? And where are Kitsuchi and Sutaru?" I asked myself out loud. I looked around again but still there was nothing. I suddenly felt a strong itch on my back. When I tried to scratch it I found that it only made it feel worse. I decided to ignore it.

"_Ayane…" _I tensed as I heard a faint voice whispering my name. I turned around and saw a small light. I slowly stood up and couldn't help but feel the urge to walk towards it. As I got closer the light became brighter. Every few minutes the voice rang out again.

_"Ayane…"_ As I got closer to the light the voice became louder. Soon I found myself running. I quickened my pace every time the voice called me. Soon I was in a full sprint. Finally I reached the light and it covered the entire area. Suddenly I was enclosed in the light and found it soothing. I looked ahead of me and saw a dark figure standing in front of me. It reached out a pale hand.

"Ayane." I felt tears sting my eyes.

"M…mother?" I asked. The figure nodded and I smiled brightly. I ran towards the figure and embraced it in a hug. The figure hugged me back.

"M-mother, I've missed you so much." Tears were falling down my face.

"My dear Ayane. How I've missed you." My mother hugged me tighter.

"Mother, mother I want you to come back." Suddenly my mother became very limp and her body fell on mine.

"Mother? Mother what's wrong?" I slowly put her down and my eyes grew wide. Standing behind her was another figure. Tears fell from my eyes as I recognized the figure was me. It pulled a wrist blade out of her back and smiled darkly. I slowly put my mother down and stared darkly at the figure. I unsheathed my own wrist blades and ran at the figure. It blocked my first attacks, but I came back at it. Before it could react I stabbed the figure through the heart. The figure stared at me and smiled. It suddenly jumped back and disappeared. Another figure took its place. This figure was taller and its amber eyes full of interest and a sick sense of triumph.

"Ah, my dear sweet Ayane. It seems your love of killing has grown stronger." I glared at the figure.

"I have no reason to kill people as needlessly as you do." I told him darkly. The figure laughed.

"You are lying again. You're going to have to face it someday Ayane, everyday you grow more and more like me. Very soon you'll be unable to control yourself and will have no choice but to join me."

"No, I'm nothing like you. I'll never join you!"

"My dear Ayane, you have no idea how wrong you are. Remember how you completely destroyed Heisuke's body? Even though after the first two strikes he was already dead?" I stared at him and my eyes grew wide. I looked down at my hands and gasped as I saw that they were covered with blood. I began to shake and the figure laughed.

"Look at yourself Ayane, think of the things you've done. You know as well as I do that you're as much of a cold blooded killer as I am." I glared at the figure.

"You're wrong!"

"Am I Ayane? You know what you did, and you know what you can do. Embrace that power and you will become the deadliest ninja alive. No one will be able to stand up to you, no one will be able to stand up to us."

"No! I'll never join you! I wish you would just…just…"

"You wish what? That I would just die? You wish that you could just kill me?"

"No, no that's not-"

"Yes it is Ayane! You want to kill me, I know you do! You hate me and you want me dead!"

"No I don't want you dead-"

"Then what? You want me to stay alive and continue to haunt your every dream?!"

"No, I don't want that either…"

"Then tell me Ayane which is it? Do you want me dead, or alive?"

"I…I…I don't know!"

"Yes you do Ayane! I can see it in your eyes. You want me to die! Well then Ayane here's your lucky chance. Come on now and kill me!" The figure spread its arms out.

"But I don't-"

"Now Ayane! Kill me! You know you want me dead! So do it! Kill me!"

"No!"

"Think of how you hate me! Think of all the things that I've done to hurt you and kill me!"

"Shut up!" I clenched my fists.

"Think of your mother Ayane!" I tensed and glared up at the figure.

"Don't talk about her!"

"And why shouldn't I? Think of how your mother died Ayane! Think about how I was the one who killed her!"

"Shut up!" Suddenly I lost control of myself and soon found my wrist blade in the figure's stomach. I looked up at the figure and his eyes smiled down at me. He suddenly grabbed me and embraced me in a hug.

"Very good Ayane. I always knew you had the blood of a killer running through your veins." The tears fell down my face.

"No, I don't want to be a killer. I'm not like you, I'm not." My voice cracked.

"My dear sweet Ayane, you have so much to learn. Soon you will join me and soon you will help me kill anyone who gets in our way." Suddenly the figure grabbed me and threw me away from him. Instead of landing on the ground where I had just stood I fell through it. I continued to fall and the only thing I could see were the bright amber eyes of the dark figure.

I jolted upright in bed but only made it half way when a strike of pain filled my back. I slowly went back down and stared up at a white ceiling. I slowly looked to the left and then to the right. I was lying in a soft bed with bright white sheets. There was a giant window to the left of me and a giant doorway to the right. Suddenly the door slowly opened and Kitsuchi peeked in. A bright smile filled her face and she turned back out the door.

"Sutaru! She's awake!" Suddenly Sutaru and Kitsuchi burst through the door and ran over to me. Ryuunosuke-sensei walked in after them and stood against the back wall. They kneeled beside my bed. Sutaru had bandages around her hands.

"Ayane how are you feeling?" Kitsuchi asked.

"I'm alright, but my back is killing me. What happened?" Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at me shocked.

"You mean you don't remember?" Sutaru asked.

"No. I mean I remember fighting Heisuke, Souji, and Atsuto with you guys after we got Sutaru back, and I remember breaking off into individual fights, but after that, nothing." Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked down at the ground and their eyes said it all.

"I did something wrong didn't I." They both looked up quickly and smiled.

"No, no you didn't do anything wrong Ayane." Kitsuchi said quickly.

"You're lying to me, I know you are."

"No she's not Ayane. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Ryuunosuke-sensei tell me what I did wrong."

"Ayane, I don't think-"

"Tell me what I did wrong!" I suddenly sat up even though it caused me pain. I stayed up and stared at Ryuunosuke-sensei. He just stared down at the floor.

"Ayane you…you killed Heisuke." Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"I…I did."

"Yeah, but I killed Souji, Deruku, and the entire enemy side." Kitsuchi added.

"Yeah, and I killed Atsuto and one of the Muantetsu." Sutaru added proudly.

"But I did more than didn't I."

"Well, you…" Kitsuchi started.

"You completely destroyed his body Ayane." Ryuunosuke-sensei finished. I tensed.

"How did I destroy his body?" I asked staring down at the sheets.

"Heisuke died, after you stabbed him twice in the chest, but you didn't stop. By the time you stopped yourself, Heisuke's body was…well…destroyed." I stared down at my hands and flashes of my dream filled my head. I began to shake.

"And…"

"And you also killed five of the Muantetsu that attacked us. Even when the fifth one ran away you still killed him."

"Ryuunosuke-sensei!" Kitsuchi said angrily. I clenched my fists.

"That's why you won't look at me isn't it? Because you think I'm some kind of cold blooded killer." The words were like poison and they hurt me to say.

"No Ayane. The reason I won't look at you is because I'm afraid the hate I have for those men and what they forced you to go through will show and you will mistake it for hatred pointed at you." I looked up at Ryuunosuke-sensei and saw him smile at me. I smiled back.

"Hey Ryuunosuke-sensei?"

"Yeah?"

"You called me by my real name." Ryuunosuke-sensei blushed.

"Yeah well, don't get used to it. It was merely a spur of the moment kind of thing." I smiled and turned back to Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

"So you're really ok Ayane?" Sutaru asked worry in her voice.

"Yes. I think what I did was wrong and I should have controlled myself, but I can't live my life dwelling on what's happened in the past." They both smiled brightly. I smiled to myself realizing that my dream was wrong. I was nothing like him, because I have friends like Kitsuchi and Sutaru there to help me.

"So Kichiku can you walk?" I turned back to Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"Well I'm not really sure. What happened to me anyway?"

"Heisuke used his kunai with chain and cut you from the top of your right shoulder down to your left side. When we found you, you had already lost a lot of blood. We were afraid you were going to die."

"Yeah, but we used Kitsuchi's bandages to cover the wound and managed to stop the bleeding. After the battle we got you back here as quickly as we could and the king's doctors helped you as much as they could." I looked down at Sutaru's hands after she had finished talking.

"And what about you guys? Any really bad injuries?"

"Nope, not me. Just a couple of small cuts and bruises. The worst injury is on my left arm but it's already taken care of."

"The usual for me as well, except now I have a hole through my right shoulder and large cuts on my hands."

"Are you both ok?" I asked. They burst out laughing.

"Please Ayane, it'll take more than that to get us down. The one we were most worried about was you." Kitsuchi said smiling brightly. I smiled back.

"Well then if everyone's ok I think I'll see if I can walk." Kistuchi and Sutaru slowly stepped away, giving me some space. I slowly turned myself around and slid off the bed onto the cold stone floor. I took a couple of steps and smiled.

"I think I can walk, but it's going to be excruciatingly painful to lie down and then get back up again for a little while." Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled again.

"Good, now what do you say we head home, if you think you're up to it."

"If there is one thing in the world that I want most right now, it's to finally go home."

"I can't believe you guys are leaving already. You just got here." Kuroda complained as we headed towards the front of the house.

"Sorry Kuroda but we really need to get back." Kistuchi said. The princess sighed.

"Aww, I really thought you guys would stay a lot longer."

"We've been here for three days and we need to get Ayane back home so we can have some medical ninja look at her wound." Sutaru cut in.

"Not that your doctors weren't appreciated." I quickly said. Kuroda smiled.

"Well, I'll definitely miss you guys. Be sure to come visit us, maybe when the war is finally over."

"Speaking of which, how're the negotiations going?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked.

"Well father's assured me that the negotiations should be over within the next couple of days. When Konomaru showed Ebiru Deruku's head they had no choice but to agree to negotiations." We nodded and Kitsuchi blushed.

"That's good, so you think peace will finally return to your village?" I asked.

"I hope so and when it does I'll be sure to invite you guys to the celebration party." Kuroda smiled brightly. We smiled back.

"Well I think it's about time we headed home." Ryuunosuke-sensei cut in. Kuroda's face fell.

"Well, I suppose this is good-bye. Get home safely, and please get well soon." We all smiled.

"Thank you for your hospitality." I said while bowing. Kitsuchi and Sutaru did the same. We smiled at Kuroda one last time before heading out the front door of her mansion. We headed to the front gates to find Konomaru waiting for us.

"I came to see you guys off." We smiled.

"Yeah, we really need to get Ayane to see some of our medical ninja."

"Understandable, judging from your skills as fighters, your medical ninja are probably incredible." We nodded.

"I suppose you could say that, now if you'll excuse us we really need to go." Sutaru quickly said. Konomaru smiled.

"Alright I won't keep you. If we ever need help again, I'll be sure to call for you guys." We smiled again.

"And we'll be sure to come as soon as possible." I looked up at Ryuunosuke-sensei and he made an apologetic face.

"Alright, time to go." Sutaru put her hand on my back, just below my wound, and Kitsuchi's and pushed us out the front gate.

"Bye Konomaru!" We yelled before we were finally out of the village. After a couple of minutes walking Sutaru sighed.

"Finally! I thought we were never going to get out of there. That princess wouldn't stop talking!" I laughed.

"So you still hate the princess?"

"Well, now that we're finally on our way home I don't hate her so much." Kitsuchi sighed.

"You have a one track mind Sutaru." Sutaru glared at Kitsuchi and just sighed.

It had been a day since we had left Kuroda's village and we were excited to finally return to Konoha. I strayed behind everyone else contemplating what had happened during the fight. I couldn't remember anything and it was becoming very irritating. I looked up as I sensed chakra coming from Kitsuchi. I walked forward and found her pushing chakra into a sword. As she did the ridges on the edges grew larger.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a sword like that."

"I didn't, Souji passed it, the Soujin as it's called, down to me when I defeated him. I promised him I'd protect it with my life. I have to admit, it's pretty entertaining." I smiled and walked beside her while she continued to push chakra into her new sword. After a couple more hours of walking I had fallen behind everyone again. I walked silently behind listening to the forest. Something about forests always made me feel so calm and serene.

"Kitsuchi knock it off!" I snapped out of my zone and looked forward.

"What's your problem Sutaru?"

"You're driving me insane with that sword! In and out, larger and shorter! The chakra concentration is making me go crazy!"

"Hey I'm practicing to make sure if I have to I can use it."

"You've been practicing since we left camp!"

"Well, sorry! I'm trying to use this sword to the fullest!" Kitsuchi moved Soujin in front of Sutaru's face and forced chakra back and forth through the sword. Sutaru glared darkly at Kitsuchi.

"Keep it up and I'll break that sword in half."

"Don't even think about it mind freak." Kitsuchi glared at Sutaru. Sutaru was about to retort when I stood in between them.

"Come on you guys, we're on edge because we haven't been home in awhile and we've had to sleep on the cold ground. Let's just keep walking and we'll get back before you know it." Sutaru and Kitsuchi glared at each other one more time before Kitsuchi began to walk forward again.

"What's wrong Sutaru?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you so agitated? I thought you were happy to leave the village."

"I was happy to leave that village but something at the back of my mind has been nagging me and I guess it's what's making me so frustrated."

"Well do you know what it is?" I asked.

"No, well yeah but, I think…I guess…I don't really know." I laughed.

"I guess that's why you're so agitated. For once you don't actually know the answer to something." Sutaru nodded.

"Wow I actually think you're right. Thanks Ayane." Sutaru smiled brightly. I smiled back and we continued to walk home.

It was around two in the afternoon when we could finally see the gates of Konoha again. Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I ran towards the door and stood in front of it. Already we could smell the ramen emanating from the Ichiraku ramen shop and our mouths watered. Ryuunosuke-sensei slowly came up behind us and asked the guard ninja to open the gates. We quickly entered and couldn't be happier to be home. The doors began to close behind us but suddenly began to open again. We turned and found Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke walking through the gates. I felt my heart beat quicken as Sasuke walked slowly towards us.

"Kitsuchi, Ayane, Sutaru hey! What are you guys doing here?"

"Hey Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. We just got back from a mission." Kitsuchi explained.

"Really? So did we! We were in the Village Hidden in the Mist and we got into this huge fight with some rouge ninja and I was totally awesome and bruised them up pretty bad and I got a bridge named after me!" Naruto took a deep breath and we smiled.

"Oh yeah? Well I got a sword!" Kitsuchi quickly pulled out Soujin and showed off in front of Naruto. I laughed and turned away from them. Suddenly a man with silver hair walked towards us.

"So you're Ryuunosuke's new students?" He asked Sutaru and me. We nodded.

"Yeah, and you are?" Sutaru asked.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto's sensei."

"I'm Ayane Kikuchi."

"And I'm Sutaru Sunake. So you just went to the Village Hidden in the Mist? How are the conditions there? The last time we went the village was falling apart."

"Oh, so you've been to the village before?"

"Yeah, we traveled a lot before we came to Konoha to become ninja here."

"Really? How do you like Konoha so far?"

"It's great. I finally feel like I'm home again." Sutaru and Kakashi continued to talk and I turned to see Sakura tugging on Sasuke's arm. I decided to go help him out, again.

"Hi Sakura, Sasuke, how was your mission?"

"Oh, hey Ayane, it was alright. I thought I had lost Sasuke for a second there but it'll take more then a couple of senbon to take him down."

"'Lost Sasuke'? What do you mean?"

"I really don't-" Sasuke started, but was interrupted by Sakura.

"Well, Sasuke fought very hard against this rouge ninja, Haku, for a long time and he got hit with a lot of senbon. He fell and went into a death-like state and I thought for sure he was dead, but then he woke up and I was absolutely ecstatic." I looked at Sasuke and he blushed slightly when he noticed me staring at him.

"Wow, it sounds like you went through quite an ordeal."

"What about you Ayane? How was your mission?" I tensed and slowly relaxed as I felt Sasuke's dark stare.

"It was…alright. We didn't really do much. We just escorted a princess back to her home village. No big deal."

"Really? What's with the bandages?" She asked pointing to the bandages around my arms and legs.

"Oh, well we got into a little fight with some kidnappers but it wasn't really that big of a deal."

"Really, that's good."

"Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, we better get back to the mission booth and fill out the report." Kakashi-sensei told them. Sakura suddenly jumped on me and embraced me in a warm hug. I tensed as pain shot through my back. I refused to move and waited for Sakura to let go. Suddenly Sakura stepped back and her eyes grew wide. She had blood all down her forearm. Sutaru and Kitsuchi ran over to me.

"Ayane, are you ok?" They both asked.

"Ayane, I'm so sorry…I…I." Tears began to fall from her eyes. I went down on one knee and cringed in pain.

"It's…ok. You…didn't…know."

"Ryuunosuke-sensei! We need some help over here!" Kitsuchi screamed. Ryuunosuke-sensei appeared and his face fell.

"What happened?!"

"Sakura hugged Ayane and reopened the wound." Sutaru quickly explained. Ryuunosuke-sensei shot Sakura a dark look and she tensed.

"Don't be mad…at her. She didn't…know." I breathed. Suddenly I felt myself being slowly picked up. I looked to my side and was shocked to find Sasuke holding me up. He stared straight ahead and began to walk forward. He stumbled a couple of times while he walked forward. Suddenly I felt another strong arm lift up my other side. I looked to see Ryuunosuke-sensei helping Sasuke along.

We finally made it to the hospital. One of the nurses ran over to us. When she saw the blood her eyes grew wide.

"Someone prepare a bed! We have a badly injured girl over here!" Some other nurses appeared and Sasuke and Ryuunosuke-sensei handed me over to one of them. They pulled me into an empty room and placed me on a bed back up. They slowly took off my shirt and then cut a hole around my wound in my fishnet under shirt. I heard some small gasps.

"What's…wrong?"

"Ayane, you're wound…" I heard Kitsuchi start. I tensed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Ayane I need you to stay still for a few moments." One of the nurses told me.

"But what's wrong? Why do you all sound so nervous? It's just a wound, just cover it up."

"Ayane please just stay completely still." I felt my heart race begin to increase. Their voices were fast and nervous.

"What's wrong?!" I demanded.

"Ayane please just calm down."

"No tell me what's wrong!"

"Ayane please."

"What's wrong with me!" I went to turn over but stopped as pain shot through my back. I fell back on the table and yelled out.

"Ayane stay still!"

"What's wrong?!" Suddenly Sasuke kneeled down by me and I stared up into his dark eyes.

"You need to calm down." He said firmly but calmly.

"But what's wrong with me?" I asked.

"The wound is poisoned."

"What?"

"Your wound is badly poisoned, you need to stay still so they can clean it out and keep you alive." I stared into Sasuke's dark, serious eyes and was surprised when I slowly began to relax. Soon I wasn't moving at all and continued to stare into Sasuke's dark eyes. The nurses' hands quickly began to clear and heal the wound. The nurses slowly sat me up and I cringed in pain but somehow got through it. They then began to cover the wound with bandages and soon I was able to lie back down. I looked up at Sakura, Naruto, Kistuchi, Sutaru, Kakashi-sensei, and Ryuunosuke-sensei. They smiled weakly down at me and I smiled back.

"I'm sorry I freaked out like that."

"Don't be, you were nervous and very anxious. It happens when you don't understand what's going on." Kitsuchi explained.

"Yes, I guess so." Suddenly one of the nurses came in the room.

"I hate to impose, but Ayane needs to rest. Her wound should heal mostly by tomorrow morning and you can come and see her then." Everyone nodded and slowly left my room. I smiled as they left. Sasuke was the last to leave. He stared at me a questioning expression on his face. I cocked my head to one side.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He suddenly jerked up and came out of his zone. He blushed slightly but quickly shrugged it off.

"Nothing, get some sleep, you definitely need it." With that he walked out of the room. I stared at the door he had just left through and wondered if he was genuinely concerned or just being a jerk again. I sighed. I could never understand him. One minute he's calm and letting me shop with him, the next he's worried about me and ordering me around, and then the next he acts like a jerk. I sighed again and closed my eyes trying to think. Before I knew it I was already drifting off into a deep sleep.

I woke up the next morning to a knock on my room door. I yawned loudly.

"Come in." I called. The door slowly opened and Kitsuchi, Sutaru and Sakura came in. Sakura had a small bouquet of pink lilies in her hand and she smiled weakly.

"Hello. Are those flowers for me?" I asked. Sakura stepped forward and handed them to me. I took them and smelled them. The flowers smelt beautiful.

"Thank you Sakura these are beautiful."

"They're my way of saying sorry." She whispered.

"Sorry? What do you mean?"

"Ayane, I'm so sorry I reopened your wound. I should have known better and have asked if it was ok first. I'm so, so sorry." She was practically in tears. Kitsuchi and Sutaru just shook their heads. I smiled brightly.

"Sakura, it's thanks to you I'm still alive. If you hadn't hugged me and reopened the wound, we would have never found the poison. I owe you my life." Sakura looked at me and smiled brightly.

"T-thank you." Suddenly Ryuunosuke-sensei walked in. Sakura turned to face him and then turned back to me.

"I guess I'll be going now. I'll see you later Ayane, Kistuchi, Sutaru." Sakura ran to the door and bowed to Ryuunosuke-sensei before leaving the room. I smelled the flowers again before placing them on the side of my bed.

"You ready to go?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Yeah, I can't feel any pain anymore. Konoha medical ninja are amazing." I turned to look at Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"Did you find out where the poison came from?" I asked him. He nodded.

"According to the nurse I spoke to the poison they found in your wound was too intricate to be created by just anyone. Only a choice few who know the ingredients and how to form it properly."

"So it wasn't Kuroda's doctors that poisoned me?"

"No, the poison would be too difficult for them to concoct."

"So how come the doctor's didn't find it before?"

"Apparently the poison doesn't surface until a few days after it's injected into the bloodstream. After that the person injected with it has about two or three days before the poison kills them. The fact that we found it is a good sign. If it had been any other day we either wouldn't have been able to find it or it would have killed you." I shuddered at the thought and couldn't thank Sakura enough that she had saved my life.

"So if Kuroda's doctors didn't inject the poison…" Kitsuchi began.

"Then Heisuke must have laced his kunai with chain with it." Sutaru finished. I nodded and sighed.

"Well, the past is now in the past. I'm feeling a whole lot better, so let's get out of here." Kitsuchi and Sutaru nodded. I slowly stood up and it was a lot less painful then I thought it was going to be. I was about to leave the room when one of the nurses walked in.

"Oh, on your way already?" I nodded and she smiled.

"It's good to see you up and moving already. I just came to warn you that your wound may be slightly more healed, but there is still a chance that it could reopen again, so I suggest you not overexert yourself ok?" I smiled.

"Ok, thank you very much." The nurse smiled at me.

"Oh, and I suggest you see a doctor before you leave." I nodded and the nurse smiled at me one last time before leaving the room. I quickly grabbed my lilies. There was no way I was going spend any more time in this eerie hospital so I practically ran to the front door. I reached the front door and gladly left the hospital.

My freedom was short lived as one of the doctors stopped us just before we left and asked to have one quick look at my wound before allowing us to leave. This of course took most of the morning since the doctor also had to take care of other patients first. By the time we left the hospital the sun was just beginning to set. Ryuunosuke-sensei allowed us to go home for the rest of the day, but we were to meet him in front of the memorial stone at noon the next day. When we complained he just told us that wounds were no excuse for skipping out on our missions. We entered our house and were so glad to be home. Sutaru ran to the living room and slumped onto the couch.

"This feels so good. Finally I have an actual cushion to sit on." Kistuchi and I laughed and sat on the couch with her. Suddenly Kitsuchi jumped back up.

"I'm in the cooking mood. What do you guys want?"

"I think I'll just have some instant ramen for now." Sutaru said. Kistuchi pouted.

"I'll have a grilled cheese sandwich and a mixed berry milkshake please." Kitsuchi smiled at me and ran into the kitchen. After about an hour she walked back into the living room with not only Sutaru's ramen and my grilled cheese sandwich but she had a tray full of fruits and vegetables and had milkshakes for the three of us. I smiled at the decorative cuts on the fruits and vegetables. I picked up a strawberry that was shaped like a star. I held it in front of Kitsuchi.

"What's with the cuts Kitsuchi?" Kitsuchi looked at me and smiled.

"I got a little creative ok."

"But aren't decorative cuts meant for parties or get-togethers?" Kitsuchi looked at me a sulked. Before I could stop her she grabbed the strawberry out of my hand and ate it.

"Hey I was gonna eat that!"

"Then stop complaining about my food." I glared at her and grabbed another strawberry. We sat and ate while watching the TV. After we were done Kitsuchi and Sutaru yawned loudly.

"Are you guys tired?"

"Yeah, we were worried about you so we didn't get much sleep last night." I smiled.

"Thanks you guys." We slowly stood and headed to our rooms. We said good night and then slowly closed our doors. I headed downstairs to my room and looked to the side of my bed where I had placed my pink lilies. They filled the room with a sweet scent and I breathed it in greedily. I walked over to my bed and slowly lied down. The wound on my back still ached but I tried my hardest to ignore the pain. As soon as I was lying flat the pain disappeared and I breathed deeply. Soon I was fast asleep.

When I woke up the next morning I could already hear Kitsuchi and Sutaru talking happily in the kitchen. I yawned and slowly got out of bed. When I was upstairs they looked at me and smiled evilly.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing…we were just talking about how cute you and Sasuke were in the hospital room." I stared at them shocked and fell into my seat.

"What?!"

"Let's face it Ayane, we've never seen anyone calm you down that fast before." Kistuchi said with a smirk.

"That's not true. You guys calm me down all the time." I said defensively.

"Yes that's true, but never as quickly as he did. It usually takes us almost an hour depending on how bad you are." Sutaru pointed out. I opened my mouth to retort but couldn't think of what to say. They both cocked an eyebrow and I felt my face flush. Before they could say anything I tensed and stared at the ground.

"It's his eyes, they're very soothing." They looked at me shocked.

"Normally when I get like that and you guys try to calm me down I can see your own anxiety and it makes things worse. That's why I don't look at you when I have an anxiety attack, but Sasuke, his eyes were very calm and determined. I think when I saw that it calmed me down." They looked at me and didn't say anything back. I slowly stood and headed towards the door.

"So, let's get our next mission." They both nodded and followed behind me.

We met Ryuunosuke-sensei at the memorial stone at exactly noon.

"Wow, for once you three are actually on time." We glared at him but mostly ignored his comment.

"Yeah, yeah, just give us our next mission." Kitsuchi demanded tapping her foot.

"Here it is." Ryuunosuke-sensei held out a large pile of papers and dropped them on the ground with a thud.

"What're we supposed to do with these?" Sutaru asked.

"Organize them and then deliver them to the building of citizen affairs."

"But isn't this a job for a member of the citizen affairs committee?" I asked.

"Technically yes but many of them are away on important missions and so they need the extra help. I suggest you get started too, they need the papers by three got it?" We nodded our heads.

"Good, then I'll leave you to it."

"Won't you stay to make sure we do a good job?" I asked.

"Nah, I got something I have to take care of. Meet me back here as soon as your done. See yah!" Ryuunosuke-sensei then disappeared and left us with the large pile of papers.

"He expects us to get this all done by three?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Well we might as well get started, at least then we can give them what we've done and hopefully there won't be that much left." Kitsuchi and Sutaru nodded. We sat down by the papers and began to organize them. It took us a good two hours before we got three quarters of the way done. We stretched constantly and by three we had somehow managed to organize all the papers. We sighed and separated the pile into three parts. We each carried one pile to the building of citizen affairs.

"Oh, these must be the papers that needed organizing." A member of the committee greeted us.

"Yep, all organized and separated into three equal parts." I replied. The member looked at me surprised.

"You girls are very efficient, we could use one of you on our committee." Some of the other committee members laughed.

"Thank you for the offer but we have our sights set on becoming ninja right now." Sutaru said.

"Of course you do, and it's a good goal to look forward to. Now I hate to talk and run but we're very busy right now. Thank you again for all your hard work." We bowed.

"You're welcome." We replied and then slowly left the building.

Kitsuchi stretched.

"Man that took up so much time. I hope we don't have to do anything else today." I nodded.

"I'm with you on that one." I agreed. We continued to walk forward when we heard voices coming from the other side of the fence we were beside. We stopped when the voices were loudest and listened. Suddenly we heard some shuffling footsteps, a grunting noise, and the sound of a rock clicking against the ground.

"Oh look, another little brat." The first voice said. It was a boy's voice but we didn't recognize it and when we looked at each other we all shrugged our shoulders.

"Get lost." I tensed as I heard Sasuke's voice but relaxed before Sutaru and Kitsuchi noticed. We stepped back a bit but all we could see was Sasuke sitting in a tree.

"Oh, Sasuke you're so cool!" We all sighed as we heard Sakura's voice.

"Cool eh? Well if you're so cool, why don't you come down here little squirrel?" The unknown voice asked. There was silence until the voice spoke out again.

"Think you're so smart huh?" We heard some shuffling and another voice sounded out.

"You're not really considering using crow are you?!" This voice was female and sounded slightly older.

"Kankuro, don't even think about it." A new voice demanded. This voice was raspy and emotionless. We moved back a little further and could finally see the new kid. He was hanging in the tree upside down and was short. He had red spiky hair and dark rims around his eyes. He had the kanji for love on the right side of his forehead. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black baggy pants that went halfway down his shins. Where the pants stopped bandages began and they covered the rest of his shins and just before his toes. He had the custom ninja sandals on except his were black. He had a red sash tied around his upper body and had a gourd almost as big as him tied on his back. He had a headband with the sign for the Village Hidden in the Sand tied to the strap of his gourd. What was most interesting about him were his pale green eyes. They were completely emotionless. I looked at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. Suddenly and without warning Sutaru ran at the fence and jumped over it. I looked at Kitsuchi and she shrugged. We decided to follow her and jumped over the fence.

Sutaru landed and didn't take her eyes off of the short boy in the tree. I looked around. Not only were Sasuke and Sakura here, Naruto, Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru were also here. I looked up at Sasuke and felt my face flush slightly.

"Sutaru are you ok?" Kistuchi suddenly asked. Sutaru nodded but didn't speak. We turned our attention to the two other sand ninja. The boy we had heard, Kankuro, was taller then us by a few inches. He was wearing a black body suit that went to two points on the top of his head and it had a yellow and purple circle in the middle. He had purple paint around his eyes and on his chin, forehead, and cheeks. Each design ended in a point. He had a large bundle on his back that was covered in bandages and he stared at us curiously.

The other ninja was a girl a little taller then Kankuro. Her blond hair was tied back in four spiky pony-tails, two at the top of her head and two at the bottom. She had her headband tied around her neck and was wearing a lilac dress that hung just below her shoulders and fell diagonally across her left thigh. She had fish-net around her shoulders up to her neck, around her wrists and on her legs. On her left leg the fish-net came down and stopped just above her knee and the fish-net on her right leg went up to just below her other knee. She also had a large fan on her back. Her teal eyes glared at us.

"Who're these kids? More Konoha genin?" Kankuro asked with a grunt

"Excuse us? I believe it is polite to give your name before asking someone else for theirs." I replied glaring at him. He glared back.

"Well, looks like we got a little smart mouth."

"Better a smart mouth then a smart ass." He glared at me again.

"Hey Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, who're these three clowns?" Kistuchi asked. Now Temari was glaring at us too. Kankuro suddenly ran at me. I sighed and just as he reached me I moved to the side and kicked him towards Kistuchi. Kitsuchi turned and kicked him towards Sutaru and without even looking in his direction she kicked him back at Temari. Temari quickly moved and Kankuro landed flat on his face. He quickly stood and glared at us.

"Look if you've got a bone to pick with-"

"Kankuro, I told you that's enough." The short kid said. Kankuro slowly backed off.

"Sorry Gaara, I didn't mean-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, if you do it again, I will kill you." I tensed. This was an expression I had used many times before and hearing it from someone else was…hard.

"You're right Gaara I'm sorry."

"Yeah, Kankuro didn't mean any harm. We're really, really sorry." Temari said. So the short one, Gaara, was the one who commanded this group. I looked up at him but he never took his eyes off of Sutaru. It was like they were trapped in their own personal staring contest. Suddenly Gaara took his eyes off of Sutaru and looked at Sasuke.

"Please excuse my brother and sister." Gaara slowly disappeared and then appeared in front of Kankuro and Temari.

"I can't believe you two would waste time with these little children. Let's go."

"Wait!" Sakura suddenly yelled. Gaara turned to face her.

"Yes?"

"By looking at your headbands I can tell that you're from the Village Hidden in the Sand. Our two villages are allies but according to the treaty your villagers aren't supposed to come into our village without proper authorization. So what exactly are you doing here?" She asked. Temari chuckled.

"Ever hear the saying 'it's darkest at the base of the brightest lighthouse'? We have permission to be here." She explained holding out her travel papers.

"But why are you hear?" Sakura demanded.

"Like you guessed, we're ninja from Sunagakure. We're here to take the chunin exams." Me, Sutaru, and Kistuchi looked at each other and our faces lit up.

"Chunin exams? What're those?" Naruto asked. Our faces fell and Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I stared at Naruto completely dumbfounded. Hadn't they ever been told of the chunin exams before?

"You don't know? The Chunin exams are held to test the skills of genin from your country, our country, and any other country that wishes to participate. They come to either your home here in Konoha, or they come to Sunagakure and compete there." Temari explained.

"But why don't they just test us individually?" Naruto asked.

"Because it's to test your skills against other countries' genin other then against the genin you've already fought before. It is also used to promote friendship and understanding between countries and it also keeps a balance of power between the countries." Naruto nodded. Suddenly Sasuke appeared in front of us.

"Hey you, what's your name?" He asked Gaara.

"My name is Gaara of the Desert. May I ask who you are?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." They stared at each other and I wondered what they each were thinking.

"Hey do you want to know my name?" Naruto suddenly asked. Gaara looked at him.

"No." He said bluntly. Naruto's face fell.

"However," he continued, "I would like to know the names of you three." He said turning to face us.

"Ayane Kikuchi." I replied.

"Kitsuchi Fure." Sutaru turned to face Gaara and they went back into a staring contest.

"Sutaru Sunake." Gaara stared at Sutaru for a while longer before turning.

"Let's go." He said and, along with Temari and Kankuro, jumped off.

"Hmm, seems things are going to get very interesting around here." Sasuke muttered. We turned to face them.

"How did you guys get into a fight with them?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Konohamaru ran into Kankuro and Kankuro reacted like Konohamaru punched him instead." Kitsuchi looked down at Konohamaru.

"I can see how he made that mistake." Konohamaru glared up at her and she smirked.

"That was very impressive." Sasuke suddenly said.

"What was?" I asked.

"How you dodged his attack and recoiled like that. Your teamwork is very impressive." I felt my face flush and Kitsuchi and Sutaru shrugged their shoulders.

"Do you guys always fight like that?" Sakura asked.

"Basically, we fight better as a team then we do separated, but don't get the wrong idea, we're no push-over's." Suddenly Kitsuchi tensed. We looked at her and she looked up at us, a panicked look on her face.

"We forgot to go back and meet Ryuunosuke-sensei!"

"Damn! He's going to kill us!" Sutaru exclaimed. They both turned and ran I started but then stopped. I turned towards Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto and waved.

"Sorry, we're late for a meeting with our sensei. Bye!" I then continued to follow Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

When we made it to the stone Ryuunosuke-sensei was no where to be found. We took a deep breath of relief and sat around the stone.

"Hey Sutaru, why did you react like that when you saw that Gaara kid?" Kitsuchi suddenly asked. Sutaru tensed.

"Well, I kind of…well…"

"Come on, tell us." I said.

"I…had a vision of his eyes and so when I saw them, I guess that was the only way I could think of to react." We stared at her shocked.

"Are you serious?" Kitsuchi asked. Sutaru nodded.

"Well did your vision have a reason to it?" I wondered.

"No, all I could see were his eyes." I nodded. Suddenly Ryuunosuke-sensei appeared.

"Oh, you're already here." We nodded.

"Seems for once you're the one who's late." Kistuchi said with a smile.

"I'm not late, you guys are just early." We sighed.

"Yeah, yeah so what did you want to talk to us about?" I asked.

"I've come to tell you three that I've nominated you to enter the chunin exams. All you have to do is fill out these application forms if you think you want to enter." We stared at him shocked. Before he could say anything we each grabbed an application form and tried to search for something to write with. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at us shocked.

"Wow, I didn't think you guys would be this eager to enter." Finally I pulled a pen out of my carrying case and signed the application before handing it over to Kitsuchi and then Sutaru.

"Are you kidding? Ever since we learned about the chunin exams we've been eagerly awaiting the day when we could finally enter." I said while I looked over my application.

"Yeah, this is like a dream come true." Kitsuchi said while finishing hers.

"I see. Anyway, fill out the forms and in two days time go to room 301 at the school. Make sure you're there at four that afternoon." We nodded and Ryuunosuke-sensei was about to leave when he turned back to look at us.

"Oh and by the way, tomorrow night is the festival that Konoha has to celebrate having the chunin exam in our country, so I suggest you buy something nice to wear." We nodded and looked at each other. We all smiled and before he could stop us we hugged Ryuunosuke-sensei. He tried to push us off but we stayed firm.

"Thank you Ryuunosuke-sensei!" We said in unison.

"Yeah, yeah, now get off. People are staring." We laughed and stepped back. We smiled as we saw a slight red tinge appear on his face. Without saying another word he disappeared. We turned to face each other and bright smiles crossed our faces. Finally it was our turn to prove our skills to everyone.


	9. Chapter 8: Tears, Fears, and Dancing!

**Chapter Eight**

**Tears, Fears, and…Dancing!**

Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I looked over our applications again that morning during breakfast. We had bright smiles plastered on our faces. We ate our cereal and stretched.

"Ok, so the chunin celebration festival is tonight, which means we have some shopping to do." Sutaru said.

"Do we have to?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Yes we do, we need to get kimonos for the festival. We might as well get some other clothes while we're out." I nodded in agreement to Sutaru's statement. Kitsuchi sighed.

"Alright, if we have to." We smiled. After breakfast we grabbed our things and headed out.

The market was empty except for a few older women walking through the streets and admiring the vendors' merchandise.

"Where is everyone?" I asked looking around. Kitsuchi and Sutaru shrugged their shoulders. We walked into the first clothing store and began to look around.

"Oh, hello. I didn't think I'd see any girls your age in until later today." We turned to see the store keeper walk over to us.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"All the other genin are out training today. You girls are lucky you don't have to train, you can get all the good kimonos first." She winked at us and we smiled. We walked over to the first rack of kimonos and browsed through them. I found three kimonos that I really liked, Sutaru found four, and Kitsuchi hadn't found any.

"Come on Kitsuchi there's tons of kimonos here that would look great on you."

"I'm not interested in any of these kimonos." I sighed.

"Tonight is a new moon isn't it?" Kitsuchi looked at me and sighed.

"Yes it is." Sutaru nodded. Kitsuchi always became very self-conscious when it was a new moon. I walked over to the kimono rack and pulled off a couple that suited Kitsuchi perfectly. I forced them into her arms and Sutaru pushed her into a change room.

"You guys can force me in here but that doesn't mean I'm going to try anything on!" She yelled at us. Sutaru and I sighed and walked into our own change rooms.

I tried all three of my kimonos on and fell in love with the third one. It was a plain white kimono that had a pink cherry blossom design. There was a green vine attaching all the cherry blossoms together. The back had a light pink train that fell into ruffles. The sleeves were long and almost hit the ground. The sash was also pink and the ends were long, curled, and ended in ying-yang charms and tassels. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled brightly. Sutaru suddenly walked out and she smiled at me.

"Ayane that kimono is so pretty! It suits you so well." I smiled at her.

"Thank you Sutaru." She smiled at me. I took a step back and she stepped in front of the mirror. Her kimono was amazing. It was traditional kimono style. The kimono was black with red trimming and a red sash tied around her waist. The sleeves fell to the ground and the kimono had a small, red flower design on it. Sutaru made a quick spin and looked at herself from all angles.

"I think it's perfect." She said with a bright smile. I smiled and walked towards the change room that Kitsuchi was in. I knocked.

"Hey Kitsuchi how do the kimonos look?"

"I don't know." She replied.

"What do you mean you 'don't know'?"

"I haven't tried any on." She replied coldly. I sighed.

"Come on Kitsuchi! Please try them on."

"No."

"Kitsuchi, don't make me come in there." I heard her sigh and then some shuffling. Kitsuchi then came out in a traditional orange kimono that had a yellow flower designs. Me and Sutaru looked over the outfit and then shook our heads. She sighed and went back into the change room and changed again. Kitsuchi went through three other kimonos. Finally she stepped out and Sutaru and I smiled brightly.

"It's perfect!" We said in unison. The kimono was pale pink and had green trim at the ends of the sleeves and around the edges of the kimono. The sleeves were long but didn't reach the ground and they opened into ruffles. At her hips the kimono opened into a skirt that fell to just above her knees. The skirt had thick green trim at the bottom and just above it the same straight green design except with vertical, pale pink slashes through it. Just below the shoulders there was a small design of a crescent moon coming just above a cloud. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself.

"I hate it." She said quickly. We stared at her.

"How can you hate it?! It suits you perfectly!" Sutaru stated. I nodded in agreement.

"But I look stupid. I mean what's with the skirt thing? And the sleeves aren't even that long." I sighed.

"Come one Kitsuchi, if tonight wasn't a new moon I know for a fact that you would already be buying this kimono. It's perfect." Kitsuchi sighed.

"Fine I'll get it." She said. She crossed her arms and sulked while she headed back into the changing room. Me and Sutaru looked at each other and sighed before heading back into our own change rooms.

We paid for our kimonos and left the shop. We headed into a few more stores and bought some new clothes and decoratives for our rooms. By noon our stomachs were growling and we decided to head somewhere for lunch. We had eaten at the Ichiraku ramen shop almost everyday since we arrived and decided to try the barbeque restaurant. We stood outside the restaurant and took in the amazing smell that wafted from the doors. We smiled and slowly entered. We stood in the lobby and waited. A hostess appeared and smiled brightly at us.

"Three?" She asked.

"Yes please." I replied. The hostess smiled and led us to our seats. We looked forward and Kitsuchi nudged me.

"Weren't those three in our class?" She whispered. I looked forward. I recognized the blonde girl, I think her name was Ino, and the boy with the spiky ponytail was Shikamaru, but I then realized I didn't know the name of the third boy. He was chubbier then the other ninja and his headband covered his entire head except for two holes which his spiky, light brown hair stuck out of. He had red swirls on his cheeks and bandages tied around his arms and hands. He was wearing an opened, green t-shirt that had a yellow shirt underneath and a red kanji surrounded by a circle in the middle of the shirt. He had dark brown shorts and bandages tied around his feet and legs. He also had a white scarf tied around his neck. He gazed eagerly at the barbequing meat in front of him. Suddenly I felt a small jolt and recognized it as _his_ presence. I tensed and even though my mind was still moving forward, my legs refused to move. I suddenly felt myself begin to fall forward. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact between me and the ground but when I felt nothing I slowly opened my eyes. I was just above the ground and had a strong arm holding me up. I was slowly pushed back up and the other guy stared at me slightly worried.

"Are you ok?" He asked. I looked around. The feeling was gone and I was back to normal, slightly.

"Yeah I'm ok. Thank you for catching me." I said with a smile. He blushed.

"No problem."

"Oh I know you, hey Ayane."

"Hi Ino." Shikamaru and the other boy looked at Ino.

"You know this girl?" They asked.

"Yeah, they're the three new girls who just moved here a couple of weeks ago." Shikamaru looked us over.

"Nope, don't recognize you, girls are such a drag anyway." We stared at him.

"Why you little-"

"How would you three like to eat with us?" Ino cut off Kitsuchi. I nodded and took a seat beside the new guy and Kitsuchi quickly took a seat beside me. Sutaru was forced to sit beside Shikamaru and Ino.

"Oh, right, introductions. Ayane, Kitsuchi, Sutaru, this is Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Choji, Shikamaru, this is Ayane Kikuchi, Kitsuchi Fure, and Sutaru Sunake." We nodded when we heard our names. Suddenly a waitress appeared and added more meat to the small barbeque in the middle of the table. We watched and waited for the meat to cook. I looked over at Choji.

"Thank you again for catching me."

"No problem, it wasn't a big deal anyway. You should eat some of this meat you're way too light." He lifted up a piece of the finished meat and forced it onto my plate. I laughed.

"Thank you." I said while putting the piece of meat into my mouth.

"Hey if you two are done pass me some of that meat." Sutaru demanded. I laughed again and passed her some.

"So, have you girls met anyone you like yet?" Ino asked. All three of us shook our heads at the same time.

"Oh come one, there's got to be somebody. I mean, Kitsuchi, Kiba seems really into you and there's no way you can say you don't like Sasuke." She said dreamily.

"I don't like Sasuke." Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I said in unison. Ino stared at us in shock.

"Finally some girls with taste." Shikamaru stated. Ino glared at him.

"What was that Shikamaru?" She asked through clenched teeth. Shikamaru glanced over at Ino and fear filled his face.

"Nothing, forget I said anything." I smiled and we continued to eat our food. We sat and ate and spoke for a while. Finally Choji said that he was done and we left the restaurant. I looked at the sun and could tell it was already four in the afternoon.

"Oh man I didn't think it was that late already, I still have to buy a kimono for the festival tonight!" Ino exclaimed.

"But why? The festivals here are such a drag." Shikamaru stated. Ino glared at him.

"I'm getting a kimono and _you_ are going to help me!" She grabbed Shikamaru by the scruff of the neck and dragged him towards the clothing stores.

"Are they always like that?" Sutaru asked. Choji nodded.

"Yeah, they always act like that. It gets really annoying after awhile. I can't blame Shikamaru for it though, he's my best friend. Ino causes most of the trouble."

"I feel sorry for the both of you. A fan girl _and_ she acts like that? That's harsh." Kitsuchi said shaking her head.

"Don't remind me. I have to admit though, she's one of the better kunoichi from our school. She's actually not that bad of a fighter." I looked at Sutaru and Kitsuchi and they shrugged their shoulders.

"Well, I guess I better go help Shikamaru before Ino strangles him."

"Oh, alright, I guess we'll see you later Choji."

"Yeah, are you three going to the festival tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah we are, are you planning on going?"

"Sure am! All you can eat barbeque and everything, of course I'll be there." I laughed and Choji blushed.

"Well, I guess we'll see you tonight then. Bye Choji."

"See you guys later!" Choji ran off to help Shikamaru and we continued on our way home. Kitsuchi nudged me in the side.

"Ayane, I think you better back off of Choji or you might cheat on Sasuke." I felt my face flush.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Choji were so cute back there. He mostly talked to you and completely ignored me and Kitsuchi." Sutaru stated wrapping her arm around me.

"Guys I don't like Choji…or Sasuke. I just think Choji's really sweet and it was really nice of him to save me."

"I guess that's true, and with one arm too. He must be really strong." I turned and faced Kitsuchi.

"What's that supposed to mean?! Choji said I was really light!"

"Calm down, I was just joking!" I pouted and Kitsuchi laughed.

"I hate to sound like a complete girlie girl but can we please get home and get ready for this festival thing? I really want to put my kimono on." Me and Kitsuchi stared at Sutaru and laughed. It was so unlike her to actually want to dress up, especially for something like a festival. We then turned and continued home.

"How's it coming?" I asked as I walked into the hallway bathroom. Sutaru was already in her kimono and was slowly finishing her hair. Her long black hair sat straight against her back and she had two front strands tied halfway with a star clip on each. The black and red kimono complemented her green eyes and made them brighter then usual. Sutaru was still fighting Kitsuchi, trying to finish tying up her kimono and finish putting her hair up.

I was already dressed and ready to go. My hair was tied up into two buns with two strands from each side tied into a loop underneath the buns. I had metal bands with a dark pink jewel in them holding the buns in place. Through the metal bands I put a hairpin in each bun. The hairpins were topped with silver wings that had a purple jewel on top. Two strands of hair in the front fell just past my chin. Sutaru was still fighting with Kitsuchi trying to get her ready when she let go and took a step back.

"Kitsuchi Fure, get ready now or I will be forced to use your own mind against you!" She yelled. Kitsuchi stared at her.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me!" They stared at each other and Kitsuchi sighed.

"Fine, I'll get ready." She turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She grabbed the left side of her kimono and wrapped it around the right. When the two sides were in place she grabbed her green sash and tied it around her waist. She finished her look off with a blue tie that was curled at the top and fell straight down, a purple choker and knee high, white boots with black straps tied around them and they were tied in a bow at the top of her shoes.

"There, are you happy now?" She asked. I sighed.

"Kitsuchi your hair is a mess." She turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up in certain places and needed a good brush. I quickly ran into the kitchen, grabbed a chair, and ran back into the bathroom. I pushed it forward and Kitsuchi fell into the seat. I quickly grabbed a brush and began to fight through the mess that was Kitsuchi hair. Finally, and with more effort then needed, I had it straight and soft.

"Alright Kitsuchi, how do you want your hair?"

"I don't really care, just hurry up and get this whole thing over with." I sighed and grabbed her long, auburn hair. I grabbed it at the end and pulled it up into an oval loop. I clipped the hair in place and looked over my work. Everything was perfect, except for the split ends that stuck out in all the wrong places.

"Kitsuchi when was the last time you had a haircut?"

"Incase you haven't noticed Ayane, I haven't really had the time to worry about what I look like." She replied through gritted teeth. I shrugged my shoulders and took out a kunai.

"Give me two seconds and I'll have your hair looking even better than before." Kitsuchi's face filled with worry but I ignored it and began to cut the split ends out of her hair. By the time I was done her hair was straight and free of unwanted split ends.

"Alright Kitsuchi you're all done." She quickly stood to her feet and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Can we go now and get this over with?" She asked impatiently. I looked at Sutaru and we both sighed.

"Alright let's go." We headed to the front door and left the house.

The festival was in full swing by the time we got there and it was absolutely amazing. The people were all dressed for the occasion and genin from all over the world who had come for the chunin exam were flowing in and out of the people. The vendors were all up and offering food, drinks, and there were some gaming booths. We walked though the festival looking at everything and taking everything in. Even Kitsuchi smiled at the sight. We suddenly looked forward and found Ino and Sakura walking beside each other. They spotted us and quickly ran over. Ino's kimono was dark purple that faded into lilac the further down it went. The sleeves were long and fell to the ground. She had a lilac sash tied around her waist and there were small squares near the corners of the kimono. Her hair was tied back into braided loops and her bangs fell over her face the way they usually did. She had a small purple purse and she smiled brightly when she saw us.

Sakura's kimono was red and had pink cherry blossoms at the bottom of the kimono and at the ends of the sleeves which also fell to the ground. She had a blue sash tied around her waist and there was a light pink line around the centre of the sash. She was wearing a silver chain that had a cherry blossom pendent hanging off of it around her neck. Her light pink hair was tied back in a messy bun. She carried a pink fan with her and waved it when she saw us.

"Ayane, Kitsuchi, Sutaru, how are you?" They asked in unison.

"We're doing well thank you." I replied. Sakura looked at me warily and I smiled which brightened her mood.

"Wow, you three look absolutely amazing! Where did you get those kimonos?" Ino asked.

"We went into the small clothing shop near the barbeque restaurant earlier this morning." Sutaru replied.

"Wait, what do you mean you went this morning? Are you saying you didn't have to train?" Sakura asked. We nodded and Ino's face fell.

"Aww, that is so not fair! Asuma-sensei made us train and I couldn't buy a kimono until later in the afternoon." She complained. We just laughed.

"I guess we're lucky." Kitsuchi said coldly.

"You guys definitely are. That reminds me, have you seen Sasuke? I've been looking everywhere for him." Ino said. We sighed.

"No we haven't seen Sasuke."

"Yeah and what makes you think he wants to see you anyway Ino pig."

"What was that billboard brow?"

"You heard me!" We slowly began to walk away as Ino and Sakura began to argue and managed to escape with the rest of the crowd. We walked forward and suddenly Kitsuchi bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry I…" She trailed off as she looked up at Kiba.

"Hey, you should really watch where you're going." Kitsuchi glared at Kiba.

"Maybe you're the one that needs to be more careful."

"Please don't fight, we're supposed to be celebrating." I quickly stepped in. Kiba sighed.

"Yeah, Ayane's right." I looked at Kiba and smiled. Then I noticed something was different about him.

"Hey Kiba, you're not wearing a hood." Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked up at him and they then noticed it too. Kiba blushed.

"Well why would I wear a hood if I don't have a jacket?" He put his hand on his head and scratched his spiky brown hair. I then looked down and found that Kiba was wearing a kimono as well. Kiba's kimono was plain black with white trimming. He had a small white sash tied around his waist and suited the kimono rather nicely.

"I like your kimono Kiba, it's really nice." I complimented. His face turned bright red.

"Yeah, thanks." I looked back at Kitsuchi. She kept glancing up at Kiba and every time she did her face turned a faint pink. I smiled at her. I then heard music and turned to see some people starting a dance in the middle of the festival. Suddenly a thought struck me and I smiled slyly.

"Hey Kiba, why don't you and Kitsuchi dance?" They both looked at me shocked and their faces turned bright red.

"Dance, with him?! Are you insane?!" Kitsuchi asked.

"Yeah, I can't dance with _Kitsuchi_!"

"Hey, I don't like your tone." Kitsuchi glared at Kiba.

"Well, I didn't like your tone either! At least I used your name."

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me, besides, why would I want to dance with someone in a kimono as ridiculous as yours?" Suddenly Kitsuchi tensed. She looked down so that we couldn't see her eyes. She clenched her fists and fear shot across Kiba's face. I could already tell that Kiba wouldn't be able to eat solid food for weeks after Kitsuchi was done with him. Sutaru and me took a step back and waited for Kitsuchi to punch Kiba. Suddenly she looked up and tears filled her eyes. Immediately Kiba's face changed and he stared at her shocked.

"Kitsuchi…I…" Before he could say another word she pushed by Kiba and ran off into the crowd. He looked at us and we sighed.

"Kiba you really shouldn't have said that." Sutaru told him.

"I didn't think she'd actually cry, I thought she would have just retorted or at least hit me."

"It's a new moon so Kitsuchi's at her weakest. When she's at her weakest she gets very self-conscious about herself. We had to use force and threaten her just to get her to wear the kimono. The fact that you just insulted it only made her poor self-esteem worse." I explained. Kiba looked at us and his face fell.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Kiba, we're not the ones you should be apologizing to, it's Kitsuchi that you hurt and it's Kitsuchi you should find and apologize to." Kiba looked at Sutaru and a determined look filled his face.

"You're right, thanks." We smiled and watched as Kiba ran off to find Kitsuchi.

We continued on our tour of the festival and walked towards a large crowd in front of a booth. We pushed through the group and found Shikamaru sitting on the ground playing what looked like Shogi with some older men. Shikamaru's kimono was white with black, diagonal lines that pointed towards the stomach and were also near the bottom of it. He finished it off with a black sash. I looked back at his opponent as he suddenly put his hands on his head.

"No way, I can't believe I lost!" I looked at Sutaru. Her competitive eyes glistened and I knew she wanted to play, badly.

"Sorry sir but it looks like our reigning champ, Shikamaru, is still number one here. Anyone else think they've got the smarts to beat the brain himself Shikamaru? Only 200 yen a play, do I have any takers?" The vendor asked. Sutaru quickly stepped forward and threw her 200 yen at the vendor. He smiled brightly.

"Well, well, well, it seems our first female contestant has entered the match. Does she have a chance against Shikamaru? Only one way to find out! Players, prepare your pieces and…begin!" Soon the Shogi pieces were moving all over the board. I smiled and watched.

"Wow, you're pretty good at this." Shikamaru commented.

"You're not too bad yourself. So I guess it's only fair to warn you, I've never lost a match of Shogi before." Sutaru replied with a smirk. Shikamaru smiled.

"Then it's only fair that _I_ warn you, I've never lost a match either." They both smiled at each other and continued to move their pieces back and forth. After a couple of more moves they stared down at the board. The vendor looked down at it and his eyes grew wide.

"I-I don't believe it, folks it seems we have a tie!" The now larger crowd gasped. I sighed.

"Hey Sutaru, I have a feeling that you're going to be here for awhile so I think I'm going to check out the rest of the festival." Sutaru looked at me.

"Ok Ayane, I'll catch up with you later." I smiled at Sutaru and pushed my way back out of the crowd. When I finally got out I took a deep breath and walked through the rest of the festival.

I stopped at a food vendor and bought a strawberry flavoured snow cone and stood to eat it. I began to walk around again when I suddenly bumped into someone. My snow cone fell out of the cup but before it hit the ground someone grabbed the cup out of my hand and caught it. I looked up to see Choji handing my snow cone back to me. I took it and smiled.

"Thank you Choji." He just blushed and smiled back.

"No problem, good food should never be wasted." I laughed and he looked at me with a wondering expression on his face.

"Sorry, but you sounded like Kitsuchi for a second there."

"Kitsuchi doesn't like to waste food either?"

"No, she loves to cook and hates it when people don't eat what she makes. She also has a big problem when it comes to rotting food so we never have leftovers." Choji smiled.

"She sounds like my mom, she hates those things too." We both laughed. I looked down at Choji's kimono. It was dark green and had spots of faded light green near the stomach and at the bottom of the sleeves. The light green sash hung loosely around his waist.

"So even you get dressed up for these things?" I asked. Choji looked down at his kimono and shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess, my mom actually made me wear it. If I had it my way I wouldn't have bothered wearing it at all."

"But why? I like it, it really suits you." Choji blushed again. I then looked down at his arms and realized that he had a bunch of food in them.

"Is that your dinner?" I asked.

"Nope, these are snacks for now and later. Walking really builds up an appetite." I laughed.

"I guess that's true." Choji then opened a bag of barbeque potato chips and began to eat them as we started walking around.

"Would you like one?" He asked his mouth full of chips.

"Sure." I put my hand inside the bag and pulled out a chip.

"Heh, look you guys, it seems fatty has a girlfriend." I turned to see a group of three grass genin standing beside a booth. I glared at them and continued to walk beside Choji.

"Hey wait up, why don't you come hang out with us?" One of them asked. I turned to face them.

"Yeah. Come share some food with us, we promise it'll be our treat." They all laughed.

"I'd rather sit in a pit of snakes then go with you three." I spat at them turning to leave again. Suddenly one of them grabbed my arm and held it up, squeezing hard. "That wasn't very nice." He said through clenched teeth.

"Do I look like I care?" I asked glaring at him. He glared at me and began to drag me away with him.

"Let me go!" I yelled. Soon all three of them surrounded me and I glared at them. The one who had my arm held me up.

"We just want to have some fun with you so let's go." I glared at him and spat in his face. He dropped me and I hit the ground. I tried to escape but they grabbed my arm again.

"You're really starting to piss me off." He said glaring at me again.

"Let me go!" I yelled.

"Not likely." They began to drag me off again when a voice sounded out.

"She said she wants to be let go." They stopped walking and I turned to see an evil glare on Choji's face.

"Oh really? And what are you going to do about it fatty?" The one who had me asked. Choji's glare darkened.

"Nobody…calls…me…fat." Choji put his hands together to form a hand sign I didn't recognize. Suddenly his arms, legs, and head disappeared inside of him and he began to grow bigger.

"Human Boulder!" He yelled and soon his body was in the shape of a giant ball. He rolled at the three ninja. They threw me to the side and tried to escape, but Choji was too fast. He quickly ran them all over. He then turned back to his normal self and glared down at them.

"Never call me fat, and definitely never speak to her like that again." The three ninja nodded and slowly crawled away. I stared at Choji and he walked over to me.

"Choji…that was absolutely amazing!" I smiled brightly and he stared at me shocked.

"You mean, you actually liked that?"

"Liked it? I loved it! That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

"You mean, you're not ashamed to be around me?"

"Ashamed, Choji why would I be ashamed?" I asked.

"Because I'm fat, and you're skinny and pretty. I'm sure you can go hang out with cooler guys than me." My face fell and I felt sorry for Choji. He had such low self-esteem. I smiled at him.

"Choji, I could care less about what you look like. You're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. You caught me when I fell in the barbeque restaurant, you saved my snow cone, _and_ you just saved me from those three losers. How could I not like a guy like you?" He looked at me shocked.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do. So stop with this 'I'm not good enough' talk. You're too good for it." He smiled at me and blushed.

"Thank you."

"No problem, what are friends for?"

"Friends? You mean you consider me your friend?"

"Of course I do. So what do you say? Are we friends now?" I asked. Choji blushed but tried to act cool.

"Yeah, I mean if you want." I smiled at him. Suddenly someone's voice sounded out.

"Choji! We have to go meet your mother for dinner!" Choji turned to face a man who was tall and chubby with long, spiky red hair.

"'Kay dad I'm coming." He turned back to face me.

"Sorry, but I've gotta go. I'll see you later ok?"

"Ok, good luck in the chunin exam." I waved as he ran towards his dad.

"Oh, you too!" He yelled. I smiled after him and started to walk around again. Choji was such a sweet guy, I felt sorry that people treated him so badly. Suddenly I heard a loud bunch of squeals and looked forward. I wasn't surprised to find Sasuke being followed by a large crowd of girls, some of them from other villages. Sakura and Ino were draped on his arms. I sighed and finished the rest of my, now melted, snow cone. I guess I could help him, again. I walked out in front of the girls. They stopped when they saw me and Sasuke looked at me confused. I looked at Sasuke up and down and smiled when I saw that he was wearing a shirt under his navy blue kimono.

"Ayane, what are you doing?" Sakura asked. I smiled and ran at Sasuke. I jumped at him, quickly undid his kimono, pulled off his blue undershirt, flipped over, and landed behind the crowd of girls. Sasuke turned and looked at me still confused his cheeks a faint pink. I smiled again and held the shirt up.

"Look, I've got Sasuke's shirt, whoever wants it," I turned and started to run as fast as I could, "has to catch me first to get it." Before I knew it the entire crowd was running after me.

"That shirt is mine Billboard Brow!"

"Not if I can help it Ino pig!" I laughed as the girls ran after me and stepped out from behind a booth.

"Well, I guess you better go before they come running back for more." Sasuke turned to see the real me standing beside him.

"So that wasn't really you?" He asked tying his kimono back up.

"No, do you really think I have the time to be chased by fan girls?" Sasuke grunted.

"I guess a thank you is good enough?" I nodded.

"Alright then, thanks." I smiled but Sasuke just stared at me skeptically. He tied the lighter blue sash back up properly when suddenly I heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and fast. I turned around to see the group of girls running back at us.

"Wow, I didn't think they'd catch up that fast."

"Damn it, not again." Suddenly I felt Sasuke's hand grab mine and he ran, dragging me behind. I managed to pick myself back up, but I never thought it would be this hard to run in a kimono. We pushed through the crowds of people and I tripped constantly as we went. I could still hear the girls behind us.

"There he is!"

"Who's that other girl with him?"

"I don't know but whoever she is she's going to pay for tricking us and stealing Sasuke!" I sighed. That was all I needed, more enemies, and worst of all, they were all fan girls. Suddenly Sasuke took a sharp turn and we stopped in between two booths. We took a quick chance to catch our breath.

"Hold it right there!" We turned to see the girls standing right in front of us.

"Tch, great." Sasuke whispered under his breath.

"Alright, whoever you are give us our Sasuke back!"

"Wait a second, isn't that Ayane?" I heard Ino ask. I tensed.

"Yeah, it is her!" Sakura confirmed.

"But what the heck is she doing with Sasuke?!" One of the other girls asked. I swallowed hard. I could tell this wasn't going to end well. Suddenly Sasuke grabbed my hand again and pulled me into the forest behind the festival.

"Get her she's stealing Sasuke again!" One of them yelled. I sighed. I didn't steal him, he's stealing me! Suddenly Sasuke stopped again and pulled us behind a tree. He forced me against his chest I felt my heart beat quicken. We stood there for what felt like an eternity. I could still hear the girls looking for us, but the voices kept growing fainter and fainter, until all I could hear was Sasuke's shallow breathing and the beat of his heart. Standing there, I felt something I had never experienced before…warmth. I actually felt warmth fill me and I didn't want to leave. Sasuke took a deep breath and looked down at me. We both suddenly made a face and jumped back from each other. I tripped on my kimono and fell back. Pain shot up my back and I tensed.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke walked over and stood above me. I looked up at him. He turned his head to the side and put out his hand. I smiled slightly and put my hand in his. He slowly lifted me back up. He still had my hand in his and held it up in front of his face. I looked at him wondering what he was doing when I noticed that he was observing it.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"I just realized this is the first time I've seen your hands before without those fishnet gloves." I felt my face flush and was happy that it was too dark for him to see. I pulled my hand out of his.

"Yeah, well they didn't match my outfit." Sasuke sighed.

"What is it with you girls and you're _outfits_?"

"Hey, is it such a problem if I care about my appearance? I actually don't care about it that much, but tonight is special." I took a step forward and cringed as my back started to hurt.

"Is your wound still hurting you?" Sasuke asked a hint of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, but it's not that big of a deal. I just need to stop being dragged everywhere for a little while."

"Is it my fault those idiot girls were after us."

"Sasuke, they were after you, I just helped you and then you dragged me off."

"Whatever, where are we anyway?" He asked changing the subject. I looked around.

"I have no idea." We started to walk around and soon found ourselves in a small clearing. I immediately recognized it as the clearing where I first had a real conversation with Sasuke. I walked over to the small pool and looked down at it. I could slightly see the outline of myself and Sasuke stepped beside me. I quickly sat down, rolled my kimono up, took off my shoes, and put my feet in the cold water.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Putting my feet in the water of course, it's actually quite relaxing." Sasuke suddenly sat down beside me. We sat there for awhile when Sasuke suddenly spoke up.

"So what were you doing with Choji?" I looked at him shocked.

"Sasuke, were you spying on me?" He looked at me and I could tell he was blushing. He suddenly turned around so his back faced me.

"No."

"Then how did you know I was with Choji?"

"I didn't, I was told." I smiled slyly.

"Why are you asking anyway?"

"Because I was interested."

"Sasuke, are you jealous of Choji?" Suddenly he turned back around.

"What's to be jealous about? He's slow and clumsy, he's not good at fighting, and he's fat." I glared at Sasuke and I could tell he could see it because he looked at me shocked. I quickly stood, grabbed my shoes and turned.

"I'm heading back to the festival."

"Wait, what did I say?"

"Sasuke, you just proved to me that I was wrong about you. You're just a pretty boy who knows it and uses it to attract girls and make fun of those who aren't as perfect as you." I started to walk away. Suddenly he grabbed my arm.

"I wasn't making fun of him, I was just pointing out the obvious." I pulled my arm away from him.

"What so you're saying that a girl who looks like me shouldn't be around guys who look like Choji?"

"Well…"

"Sasuke you're such a jerk! Choji saved me today from a bunch of jerks like you who tried to drag me off and do who knows what!"

"Wait, what do you mean? Who did that?"

"Like you care! I'm not like all your stupid fan girls! I don't care about how a person looks! It's how they act! Choji is one of the sweetest guys I've ever met and to me he'll always be way cooler then you will ever be!" I turned to leave again when Sasuke appeared in front of me. He had an evil expression on his face and it scared me.

"You can call me whatever you want, but never make the mistake of saying that I don't care." I stared at him completely shocked.

"Sasuke…"

"You look at me and think I'm so perfect because of my skill and how I look, but you're wrong. All my life I've strived to kill one person, and until I do I will be the farthest thing from perfect. So you can go and be with Choji, because you seem to think he's so great, but never ever think I don't care." I looked at him unable to say anything. I had never seen him like this before, and it scared me.

"Sasuke, tell me, do you think I'm prefect?" He looked at me but didn't answer.

"Because if you do, then you're wrong. I've never been perfect, I've always tried to prove that I am, but I've never succeeded. You look at me and you see a pretty girl with amazing skills, but when I look at myself I see nothing. I see what I wish to be, but can never become. So the next time you see me, laughing, smiling, angry, or crying remember that it is all an illusion of what you think you see, because none of it is my real self." Sasuke looked at me, the anger quickly leaving his face.

"Ayane…" Tears began to sting the corner of my eyes. I hated Sasuke, he always made things worse. He put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off.

"Forget it, I'm going to head back to the village." I turned to leave when Sasuke suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into an embrace.

"I'm sorry Ayane." I tried to push away from him.

"I don't care! Let me go, let me go!" I pushed him but he wouldn't budge. I soon turned to hitting him but he still wouldn't let go. Eventually tears were falling down my face and I stopped hitting him.

"Ayane…"

"Please, just let me go." I slowly began to calm down. I looked up at Sasuke. He stared down at me blankly. I slowly backed away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you like that." Sasuke shook his head.

"Don't, I shouldn't have said anything." I smiled at him and wiped away a few remaining tears.

"If you weren't so jealous you wouldn't have said anything." Sasuke looked at me shocked.

"I already told you I wasn't jealous."

"You really think I'm going to believe that?" I asked cocking an eyebrow. Sasuke sighed.  
"You know you're pretty stubborn."

"Yeah, but…so…are…you." With every word I took a step forward and Sasuke took a step back. Eventually he was on the edge of the pool. I put my face up near his so that our noses were almost touching.

"Ayane, what are you…?" Before he could finish his sentence I put my finger on his chest and pushed him back. Sasuke quickly lost balance and fell back into the pool of water. I smiled and waited to see his face when he resurfaced. After a minute I started to get worried and walked closer to the pool.

"Sasuke?" I looked over the pool and couldn't see a thing. Not even small bubbles on the surface. I began to panic.

"Sasuke? Sasuke?!" I fell on my knees and crawled closer to the pool. I looked down and suddenly saw a dark figure coming near the surface. Suddenly Sasuke appeared. He grabbed my shoulders and before I knew it I was face first in the lake. I turned and faced the surface. I swam up and took a deep breath. I came up to find Sasuke slowly pulling his way out of the pool. I smiled slyly and swam over to him. I quickly grabbed his kimono and pulled him back in. He resurfaced.

"Don't think you can get away that easily with trying to drown me." He glared at me. He lifted his hand up.

"Sasuke, don't even think about it." I warned him. Before I could react he hit the water and a small wave came at me. It splashed me and I glared at him.

"Sasuke!" I yelled. He suddenly tensed. I smiled and quickly splashed him before he noticed.

"Got yah!" I started to laugh. Sasuke looked at me and a smile crossed his face. I slowly swam towards the side of the pool. I lifted myself out and Sasuke sat beside me. I grabbed the edges of my kimono and wound them so that the water slowly drained from them. When I stood up I was still sopping wet, but so was Sasuke.

"I think it would have been smarter if we hadn't done that in kimonos."

"For once I agree with you." I smiled at him. He was still trying to dry himself off. I had to admit, his hair looked better flat. I walked over to him.

"Here, Kitsuchi showed me a trick to dry off faster." I put my hands together and made the tora hand sign. Sasuke looked at me shocked and I smiled.

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke put his hands up protectively. The fireball engulfed us. Sasuke stood like that until he finally noticed that it wasn't burning him. He looked at the fire around us and then back at me. I released the jutsu and smiled.

"How did…"

"It's all about chakra control. If you can control the strength of the fireball then it's also possible to control the intensity of it."

"And Kitsuchi taught you this?"

"Yep! Kitsuchi's main abilities lay in fire style jutsus. I've never met anyone who's as good at it as her."

"Really?" I nodded.

"So what do you say we head back to the village?" Sasuke nodded.

"Sure." I smiled at him and together we headed back. On the way I remembered how Kitsuchi had run off at what Kiba had said and I wondered how she was doing.

-Kitsuchi-

"Stupid Kiba! He's such an idiot! I can't stand him!" I yelled as I beat Soujin against the large, wooden posts in the training ground. I suddenly heard a small twig break and I turned.

"Who's there?" I demanded.

"I was about to ask the same thing. Kitsuchi is that you?" I looked to the side to see Naruto walking over to me. He was wearing an orange kimono with a red swirl on the back of it and yellow squares on the left side of the stomach, near the bottom and on the sleeves.

"Naruto?"

"Hey it is you. I thought I recognized your voice. Why aren't you at the festival?"

"Why aren't you?"

"It was boring. All anyone cared about was finding _Sasuke_. So I left and decided to get in some extra training before the chunin exams. I have to get stronger so Sasuke stops outshining me."

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah, he's my rival and I'll stop at nothing until I prove I'm better then him and become Hokage."

"Why are you so determined to become Hokage?" I asked slowly lowering my sword.

"Because when I become Hokage then everyone will have to start treating me with respect. Believe it!" I turned to the side.

"Believe me, it's not easy to get respect, no matter what rank you are."

"Kitsuchi is something wrong?" I looked up at him and smiled weakly.

"Nothing, just forget it."

"So were you training or something?"

"Huh, oh yeah I was practicing with Soujin."

"Soujin?"

"Yeah, Soujin is the sword I got on my last mission."

"Oh you mean the really cool one you showed me near the village gates?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"That's so awesome, I wish I had a sword! Then I could do all kinds of stuff." Naruto started to swing at the air like he had a sword. Suddenly he stood on his kimono and fell forward. I put my hand up to my face and began to laugh. Naruto slowly stood back up and began to laugh too.

"Thanks Naruto, I needed a good laugh."

"Hey, whatever makes you feel better. Well, I think I'm gonna head home. Talk to you later Kitsuchi."

"Bye, oh and Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I just thought you should know, we're more alike then you think."

"Huh, what're you talking about?" I shook my head.

"Never mind. See you at the chunin exams tomorrow."

"Yeah…man girls are so weird." I smiled again and turned back to hitting the log. I spent another ten minutes training when I heard footsteps coming towards me. I turned and saw a pair of dark eyes staring at me. When I saw the red paint underneath them I glared darkly.

"Get lost Kiba." I said coldly. He sighed and stepped forward.

"I knew coming here would be a bad idea."

"Wow you are smarter then you look."

"Look Kitsuchi I don't want to put up with your attitude. I just came to say something."

"Well hurry because I'm only going to give you ten seconds."

"Ok, well I was talking to Sutaru and Ayane and they told me you have…"

"Five seconds!"

"Bad self-esteem issues and that when I made fun of your kimono it made it worse and I decided to come here and…"

"Too late, time's up! Now get lost!"

"Damn it Kitsuchi I came to say I was sorry!" I relaxed.

"Oh sure you di- wait, you what?"

"I came to say that I was sorry."

"Did Ayane and Sutaru put you up to this?" I asked.

"No they didn't! Damn it you're so stubborn!"

"I'm stubborn?! You're the one who didn't want to dance!"

"Oh so is that what this is all about?!"

"No…I…uh…oh I don't know!"

"What is your problem?!"

"I'm afraid!"

"You're- wait, you're what?

"I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"I'm afraid of not being good enough."

"Good enough? Kitsuchi what are you talking about?"

"All my life, I've never been good enough for anyone. I wasn't good enough for my parents, the rest of my family, for anyone. I was a lost cause, until I met Ayane and Sutaru. They saved me from that fear, or so I thought. Unfortunately that fear has only worsened. I'm afraid of not being good enough for them. Not being strong enough to protect them. They're my family and if I ever lost them, I don't know what I'd do."

"Kitsuchi...so that's why you were so upset. Ayane and Sutaru said that you're at your weakest on the night of a new moon. I didn't press for details but now it makes sense why." Kiba slowly walked towards me. I tensed as he reached me. He put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me against him. My arms hung loosely at my sides and I dropped Soujin.

"Kitsuchi, I'm so sorry. I should have never said anything." My eyes grew wide.

"Ki…ba." I relaxed and smiled.

"Thank you." He let me go and smiled down at me.

"You alright now?" He asked.

"Yeah I think so."

"Good, now I've got another question for you." I looked at him.

"What?" He smiled slyly at me.

"What were doing in the middle of the training ground alone with Naruto?" I felt my face flush.

"Kiba! Why would you even ask that?!" Kiba shrugged his shoulders.

"Curiosity I suppose. So what did you do?"

"We just talked! For your information he made me feel better. And trust me, he's way better at it then you are." Kiba looked at me.

"What? That loser? Please, I've met cats that are more interesting then him."

"Well, I'll take a cat over a dog any day." Kiba glared down at me but lightened up and started to laugh. I looked at him and began to laugh too. He put his hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

"You're one interesting kid you know that?"

"Kid? I'm the same age as you!"

"I wasn't talking about age, I was talking about maturity." I turned.

"Forget this, I'm going back to the festival." I started to walk away.

"Huh, hey wait, Kitsuchi I was just kidding!" I turned to face him, put my finger under my eyelid, pulled it down, and stuck out my tongue. Kiba smiled and ran at me. I quickly turned and ran forward. He chased me all the way back to the festival, and we laughed the entire way.

-Sutaru-

I had played a total of eleven games with Shikamaru, and tied every single one. I had to give him credit, he was good. I moved my Shogi piece forward and sighed.

"Man, we tied again? This is such a drag."

"I can't take this anymore, please just take these and go." The vendor pushed two baskets at us filled with random things. We looked at each other, shrugged and left. I looked through my basket while walking next to Shikamaru.

"Wow, I've never tied in Shogi before."

"Neither have I, and to a girl too. What a drag."

"What do you have against girls?" I asked.

"They're so annoying, especially them." He said pointing towards Ino, Sakura, and a huge group of other girls.

"Oh, you mean fan girls. Tell you the truth I don't like them that much either. I feel sorry for you because you have to put up with Ino." Shikamaru sighed.

"Don't remind me. Tomorrow we have to go to that stupid chunin exam thing too. What a drag."

"You mean you're entering it too?"

"Yeah, but I don't really want to. It just means more work and work is always a drag. I'd rather just sit and watch the clouds go by."

"You like to watch the clouds?"

"Yeah, clouds are so lucky, they're so free to do what ever they want and don't have to do what people tell them too." I nodded.

"I meditate."

"You what?"

"To pass the time, I meditate. You should try it sometime, it's very relaxing."

"Really? Hmm, maybe I'll take you up on that offer sometime." I smiled.

"Hey Shikamaru, Sutaru, over here!" We looked forward to see the fan girl group heading towards us. We both sighed, looked at each other, and blushed slightly.

"Have you seen Sasuke anywhere?" Sakura quickly asked.

"No we haven't, why?"

"Damn, we've been looking everywhere for him! We had him earlier, but then Ayane came, tricked us and then disappeared. We found Them standing beside each other, and then Sasuke grabbed her hand and dragged her into the forest behind the festival." Ino explained.

"Really? Interesting, but we haven't seen them anywhere." The girls sighed and then turned and left.

"Ayane and Sasuke? Don't tell me Ayane's a fan girl too."

"She's not, but maybe Sasuke's an Ayane fan boy." I smiled to myself. It was going to be fun asking Ayane about this later on. Suddenly Ino appeared again with Choji. She grabbed Shikamaru's arm.

"Come on, you're going to help me find my Sasuke." Shikamaru sighed.

"Do I have to? Looking for people is such a drag."

"Yes, but Sasuke isn't just anyone, he's special. Sutaru would like to help too?" I quickly shook my head.

"No thanks, I've got to go find Ayane and Kitsuchi."

"Ok, see you later then." Ino slowly dragged off Shikamaru and waved as they left.

"Poor Shikamaru." I thought out loud. Suddenly I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around and my eyes fell on a pair of pale green ones. _Gaara_. I thought to myself. He stared at me and suddenly turned to leave.

"Wait!" I yelled out. He didn't turn around and I quickly followed behind. He went into the forest and it was hard to keep up with him.

"Hang on a second I need to talk to you." I called. He still ignored me and continued to walk forward. Soon I burst through a large group of trees and found myself in the middle of a clearing. I looked around but couldn't find Gaara anywhere. I sighed. I needed to talk to him, but with his older brother and sister around I couldn't and even when we were alone he walked away and wouldn't talk to me. I sat down and thought of what to do. Before I knew Gaara I saw his eyes in my visions, maybe now that I knew him, I could see more. I smiled to myself and began to focus. Soon the only presence I could feel was my own and I drifted into half-consciousness. Soon Gaara's pale eyes appeared in my mind, only now I could see the "love" kanji on his forehead. Suddenly sand appeared and surrounded Gaara's figure. It created a wall, as if protecting him from something. A crack then appeared in the wall and it slowly began to crumble away, revealing Gaara's figure again, only half of him had been deformed. His arm and leg were large and round. He had blue veins popping out and his hands and feet went out into small points that resembled fingers and claws.

What was most awful was his face. It smiled evilly and bared large fangs. His eye was completely black except for amber irises that sparkled happily at me. He had ears that went to a point and I noticed that he resembled a raccoon. I tensed as I felt sand engulf me. I looked down and saw sand forming around me in the shape of a cocoon. I tried to break free, but it was too strong. Gaara lifted me up from the ground and slowly closed his hand. My eyes shot open and I fell back, my head pounding. I slowly sat up and looked around. There was still no sign of anyone and I shook my head.

"I wonder what that was all about." I thought out loud. No visions of him ever seemed to make any sense. I sighed and shook my head. I slowly stood back up and took one more look around before I began to walk back to the festival. I stopped walking and looked down as I heard my feet making crunching noises instead of the usual soft sound of walking on grass. I looked down and my eyes grew wide as I saw sand beneath my feet. I tensed as the sand slowly moved to the side. I followed it until my eyes caught sight of Gaara's. He continued to stare at me when sand suddenly covered him and he disappeared. I looked down at my hands and was shocked to find them shaking violently. I put my hands on my arms and slowly walked back to the festival, hoping that I could get there without getting lost.

-Ayane-

I walked out of the forest with Sasuke to find a large circle of people dancing. We walked towards the circle and I smiled as I saw Kiba and Kitsuchi. I ran over to them and Sasuke followed. We stood in front of them.

"Hey Kitsuchi, Kiba. Is everything ok now?"

"Yeah I think so." Kitsuchi replied. I smiled.

"That's good, where's Sutaru?"

"I don't know I was hoping that she was with you."

"No she's not with us. I haven't seen her since she started playing Shogi with Shikamaru."

"Shogi against Shikamaru? I hope she did alright, nobody's ever beaten him before." Kiba stated.

"Well, Sutaru's never been beaten before either." Kiba looked at me shocked.

"Ayane, Kitsuchi, Sasuke, Kiba! Finally I found you." We turned to find Sutaru running over to us and she had some kind of basket in her hand. Shikamaru suddenly appeared, spoke to Sutaru and walked over to us with her.

"Hey Sutaru, Shikamaru, what's with the baskets?" I asked.

"Oh, the vendor at the Shogi booth was getting annoyed because Shikamaru and I kept getting ties, so he gave us each a basket if we promised to leave."

"Are you serious? How many games did you play?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Twelve." All of our jaws dropped.

"Oh, that reminds me, Ayane you should be careful, you've got a herd of fan girls after you and Sasuke." I sighed.

"Great that's all I need."

"You think it's bad for you? I had to help them. Man, what a drag."

"So did I so don't even start." Choji suddenly walked over.

"Hey Choji, you managed to pull away from Ino?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, I missed my second snack because of her." I smiled.

"Heh, looks like pretty boy is causing trouble for more people then just himself." Kiba said with a smirk. Sasuke sighed.

"What's with the crowd of people?" Sutaru asked.

"I think they're all dancing. It looks like fun." I replied. Sasuke suddenly looked at me and when I turned to him he looked away.

"You ok Sasuke?" Sasuke just grunted. I sighed. I looked over at Choji. He was looking around uncomfortably.

"Are you ok Choji?" He looked up at me and took a deep breath.

"Ayane, you said that the people dancing looked like they were having fun so I was wondering…just as friends…would you like to…um…dance?" I looked at Choji and smiled.

"Choji I'd love to dance with you." He blushed and together we walked towards the circle. I turned and thought I saw an angry glare on Sasuke's face but I ignored it and turned to Kiba.

"Hey Kiba, hurry up and ask Kitsuchi to dance!" I yelled with a wink. Kiba blushed and slowly turned to face Kitsuchi.

"Kitsuchi, would you like to dance?"

"I don't know, are you sure you want to dance with a girl dressed in a kimono like mine?" She demanded. Kiba sighed.

"Kitsuchi, I was wondering if a girl dressed as well as you would like to dance with a dog like me?" Kitsuchi faced Kiba and blushed slightly.

"Was that ok? It sounded alright in my head." Kiba said with a smile. Kitsuchi laughed.

"Kiba, it sounded great, and I would like to dance with you." Kiba smiled. Kitsuchi and Kiba walked over to me and Choji.

"Sutaru, come on." Kitsuchi said.

"No it's ok. You guys go have fun." Suddenly Shikamaru looked at Sutaru.

"Look, I can tell you want to go dance, so since you managed to tie with me so many times I guess I'll dance with you." Sutaru looked at Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru, you really don't have to."

"Nah, I'll feel better if I help you out. Besides it's a gentleman's duty to help girls in need, I guess." Sutaru smiled and they both walked over.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" I exclaimed. We all smiled at each other and stepped into the middle of the circle with the rest of the people. We turned to face our partners. Kitsuchi, Sutaru and I put our hands in Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji's. We placed our other hands on their shoulders as they put their hands on our hips. We slowly began to turn to the music and soon we were all dancing. During the faster songs we had to teach the guys how to dance properly and during the slower songs we had to make sure they stepped where they were supposed to. Even though the guys were useless at dancing, and it felt like Sasuke was throwing me dark glares the entire time, it was the most fun we had had since arriving in Konoha.


	10. Chapter 9: The Chunin Exams Begin!

**Chapter Nine**

**The Chunin Exams Begin!**

With the chunin exams the next afternoon there was no training for us again. I was so happy to finally be able to sleep in! When I woke up the morning after the festival I found Kitsuchi already awake.

"Up early again this morning?" I asked while yawning.

"Yeah, you know I always wake up early. I'm also overly excited about the chunin exams today! Only six more hours left until they start!" She smiled brightly and turned back to cleaning the kitchen.

"Oh what do you want for breakfast?" She asked.

"I think I'll just have an apple. Choji kept shoving food down my throat yesterday and I'm still stuffed."

"What's with that guy and food?"

"I don't know, but he's convinced I'm too scrawny and I need more meat on my bones." Kitsuchi laughed.

"Ugh, do you guys have to be so loud in the morning?" Sutaru came downstairs with a bad case of bed-head. She wiped her eyes.

"Morning Sutaru." I greeted happily.

"Uh, not so loud."

"Too much dancing with Shikamaru last night?" Kitsuchi teased with a smirk.

"No, I just didn't get much sleep last night." She replied calmly while yawning. I smiled, even when asked questions that would make a normal person blush or act defensively, Sutaru still remained calm.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I kept having weird dreams about Gaara."

"Aww, I didn't think you would ever like someone like him." Kitsuchi said while passing me an apple.

"I don't like him, in the dreams they always end with him killing me." We stared at her shocked.

"Ok, that's just creepy." I said while taking a bite out of my apple. We sat in silence for awhile when Sutaru headed back up to her room.

"I'm going to get ready." I nodded and walked down to my own room. When all three of us were ready we headed out.

We walked around Konoha until it was finally time to head to the ninja academy. When we arrived we were shocked to find so many teams already there. We entered the academy and headed up to the third floor. We went towards the room and found two genin standing in front of the door. One had spiked hair and bandages on his cheeks and chin. The other had straight hair and the tip of his chin was covered by his under shirt. There was a boy sitting on the floor with bruises already on his face. He was wearing a green body suit and he had a bowl cut.

"Come on, why won't you let us through?" One of the genin in the crowd asked.

"Please just let us through." One girl in a pink top pleaded. She began to walk forward, but was stopped when the genin with spiked hair slapped her across the face.

"Why would we let a bunch of talentless punks like you through? The chunin exam is one of the toughest exams that we genin have to go through. There's no doubt if we let you all go through you're all going to die eventually, so what's the point? You've got no chance." The one with straight hair said. I looked at Kitsuchi and she looked at Sutaru. Sutaru nodded. I pulled out my kunai and Kitsuchi pulled out her own. We threw them and they landed right by the two genin's ears.

"What the hell?" The one with the spiked hair asked.

"I suggest you stop with the fake big talk and let us through already." Kitsuchi demanded.

"We're getting really tired of you showing off like this. How very childish." I continued with a smirk.

"What was that?" The one with straight hair asked.

"I suggest you do what they say, I'm also getting tired of this and want through." I turned to see Sasuke walking by us. He looked at me. I smiled. He turned and glared at me before he walked forward. I stared at him shocked. He had never glared at me like that before.

"Besides, this little illusion of yours is getting very tiresome." Sutaru glared at Sasuke and crossed her arms. She slowly walked forward.

"I sensed this stupid illusion as soon as I walked in the building. Get rid of it already, you're driving me crazy with your weak chakra output." The two genin glared at her.

"Illusion?" I heard some of the other genin whisper. I shook my head.

"Well I'm sure Sakura sensed it too didn't you?" Sakura looked at Sasuke shocked. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Of course I noticed it. This is the _second _floor not the third." The illusion slowly disappeared. Sakura turned to look at us and waved. We waved back.

"Not bad, but seeing it is not enough!" Suddenly the genin with spiked hair ran at Sasuke and went to kick him. Before his foot even reached Sasuke the boy in the green jumpsuit suddenly appeared and stopped the kick.

"Wow, he's really fast." I whispered under my breath. Kitsuchi nudged me in the side.

"Yeah, but you're faster." I smiled to myself.

"Hey, what ever happened to our agreement? You yourself said that it would be better if we didn't draw attention to ourselves." I looked over to see another boy with long brown hair and silver eyes that matched Hinata's.

"I'm sorry, but…" The girl in the pink top looked at the boy in the green jumpsuit and shook her head. He suddenly walked over to Sakura.

"Hi, my name is Rock Lee. You're Sakura aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm Sakura." She replied.

"Sakura, will you go out with me? I promise to protect you with my life." Rock Lee smiled brightly and gave her the thumbs up. I sighed and shook my head.

"No…way…would I ever go out with you!" Sakura yelled. Lee hung his head. I smiled. At least he tried. _Better a boy who treated you with respect then a boy who treated you like trash_. I thought to myself while glaring at Sasuke.

"Hey, you three girls over there?!" I suddenly looked up.

"Us?" We asked in unison pointing to ourselves.

"Yes, what're you're names?"

"Shouldn't you give your name first before asking others there own?" Kitsuchi asked coldly.

"Shouldn't you _rookies_ be treating ninja older then you with more respect?" He retorted.

"Age is just a number. Skill determines whether you receive our respect or not." Sutaru replied.

"Humph, very well then. You can call me Neji Hyuga." I looked up at him. He had the same last name as Hinata. _Maybe they're related?_ I thought to myself. When I noticed him glaring at me I quickly replied.

"I'm Ayane Kikuchi."

"You can call me Kitsuchi Fure."

"And I'm Sutaru Sunake." Neji smiled and then turned to Sasuke.

"And you, you're a rookie too aren't you? What is your name? And how old are you anyway?" He asked. Naruto glared at Sasuke and I felt sorry for him. Everything was always about Sasuke. Though I couldn't complain, it was usually about Sutaru, Kitsuchi and I as well.

"I don't have to tell you anything." Sasuke replied coldly before turning to leave. I sighed. There Sasuke went again, being a complete jerk. Suddenly Sakura ran up to Sasuke and Naruto.

"Now, Sasuke, Naruto let's go!" Sakura grabbed Sasuke and Naruto by the hand and dragged them off. She suddenly turned around.

"Ayane, Kitsuchi, Sutaru, aren't you coming too?" She asked with a smile. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and followed. I ran up beside Sasuke.

"Hey Sasuke, how are you?" I asked. He glanced down at me but didn't answer.

"Oh, are you excited about the chunin exam?" He glanced down at me again and shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you enjoy the festival last night?" Suddenly Sasuke tensed and actually turned to look at me. He glared at me with the same dark glare he had used before.

"Can you do me a favour and stop running your mouth? You're almost as annoying as Naruto." I stopped walking and stared at him shocked. I glared at the back of his head as he continued to move forward. I slowly started to walk again and when I caught up to everyone I hit Sasuke in the back of the head hard enough for him to actually care. He stumbled forward. Everyone stared at me shocked and stopped dead in their tracks. I continued to walk ahead.

"What the hell?!" Sasuke asked anger flaring in his eyes. I turned back and glared at him as darkly as I could. Kitsuchi and Sutaru smiled.

"One thing you should always remember Sasuke, never ever make Ayane angry. If you're on her bad side then she'll make your life a living hell." Kitsuchi explained with a smirk. She poked Sasuke in the chest and, with Sutaru, walked forward to join me. We all turned and headed to the third floor.

"I can't believe Sasuke said that to me!" I complained as we headed up the stairs.

"Come on Ayane, why are you still freaking out about that? He's just some stupid guy." Kitsuchi tried to console me.

"No, the reason I'm freaking out like this is because Sasuke has never spoken to me like that. It's just really weird. Then again, I guess he is just a stupid guy. Forget Sasuke, he's an idiot. Thanks you guys." I smiled at them and they burst out laughing.

"Ayane, why do you even bother talking to us about your problems? You solve them all yourself without our help." Sutaru said her face turning red from laughing.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I put my hand behind my head and smiled. We continued towards the third floor and even though I tried to ignore it, what Sasuke said was still nagging me at the back of my mind.

When we finally arrived at room 301 we found Ryuunosuke-sensei standing outside the door.

"Ryuunosuke-sensei what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I just came to make sure you girlies had the guts to actually come out." We glared at him.

"Yeah, yeah, you can go anytime now." Kitsuchi quickly said.

"And here I was thinking that you would appreciate me coming all the way down here to wish you three luck."

"Wait…you came down here to wish us good luck?" I asked. Ryuunosuke-sensei blushed.

"Yeah well, I figured it was the least I could do." We smiled.

"Thank you Ryuunosuke-sensei." We thanked in unison. He smiled at us and stepped aside.

"Alright then I guess I have nothing else to say. Have fun and try not to die." We looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei, smiled, and headed through the front doors.

Our eyes grew wide as we entered the doors. The room was packed with other genin trying out for the chunin exams. We looked around and our eyes fell on our friends from the academy. We walked over. Ino was draped over Sasuke and Sakura was glaring darkly at her

"Hey everyone." I said as we walked over. They all looked up.

"Ayane, Kitsuchi, Sutaru hey!" Ino exclaimed. I laughed.

"Hey Ayane, want a chip?" I looked over at Choji and smiled. I took a chip from the bag he had.

"Thanks Choji." He blushed.

"Man this exam is gonna be such a drag."

"Hey Shikamaru, I challenge you to a game of Shogi after this." Sutaru said with a smirk. Shikamaru smiled.

"Fine."

"Hey Kiba, back to the usual jacket I see."

"You really think I'd wear that stupid kimono to the chunin exams?" Kiba asked Kitsuchi. She laughed. I looked over at a boy with spiked, brown hair.

"Hey, I don't think we've met I'm-"

"Ayane Kikuchi, yes I remember you from my class. My name is Shino Aburame, pleased to meet you." I stared at him.

"Uh, yeah, pleased to meet you too." Choji took a step forward and Shino suddenly put his arm out to stop him.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Shino tilted his head towards the ground. Choji looked and watched as a small bug walked by.

"You were going to step on him, and that wouldn't have been good for either of you." I looked over at Sutaru. Her eye twitched as she watched the bug go by. I quickly walked over to her and held her back.

"Calm down Sutaru."

"Bug…must…kill…the…bug." I sighed. I looked back and was pleased to see that the bug had crawled off. Sutaru took a deep breath and smiled. I smiled back and turned towards Hinata.

"Hey, Hinata right?" I asked.

"Huh, oh, uh, yeah." She blushed.

"Are you excited about the exam?"

"Yeah, I uh, I guess." I smiled.

"You know, you should all do us a favour and shut up." I looked over as a boy with glasses walked over. He looked around fifteen years old and had his silver hair tied back in a low ponytail. He was wearing a lilac t-shirt underneath purple overalls.

"You're all genin right? Just got out of the ninja academy? Heh, all a bunch of snot-nosed kids if you ask me."

"I dare you to come and say that to my face!" Kitsuchi yelled at him.

"Who are you anyway?" Ino asked.

"Name's Kabuto, what of it? Haven't you guys noticed?"

"Noticed?" I asked. I then looked around. A group from Amagakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain, was glaring at us.

"Better watch out for them, they've all got short-fuses. You're all genin and think you know everything. I remember those days."

"Kabuto?" Sakura piped up.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You seem to know a lot, so is this the second time you've applied?" She asked.

"Not second, seventh"

"Seventh?!" Kitsuchi asked amazed.

"Yep, I've applied twice a year for about four years now."

"You think you'd give up after the first three fails." Kabuto glared at me and I glared right back.

"Well, if you've applied seven times then you really do know what we're in for." Sakura Commented.

"Yeah." Kabuto replied with a sly smirk.

"Hey Kabuto, you're definitely the man!" Naruto said with a smile.

"Heh, cute. Well, I suppose I could shed a little light in what you're in for with my shinobi skill cards." Kabuto pulled a pile of cards out of his carrying case.

"'Shinobi skill cards'? What're those?" Sakura asked

"To put it simply, they are cards that show the skills of shinobi from each country using symbols and a special chakra." He flipped one over and continued. "They look like blank cards don't they? You see if I do this," Kabuto suddenly pushed chakra into the card and a picture began to appear, "then the card gets a picture. All the cards are linked to its possessor's chakra so they only work for me. It took me four years to collect all the data I have and now there are about two hundred cards." We looked down at the picture and our eyes grew wide.

"It's like a map and 3-D bar graph all in one." Sakura exclaimed.

"Yes, this shows each country participating and how many applicants there are from each." I looked down at the map. There were thirty applicants from Sunagakure, twenty-one from Amagakure, six from the Village Hidden in the Grass, six from the Village Hidden Under the Waterfall, eighty-seven from Konohagakure, and three from Otogakure, the Village Hidden in Sound. I looked down at the last village. I had never heard of it before. I wondered who was from that village and why there was only three applicants.

"Do you also have cards that give you information on certain individuals?" I looked up as Sasuke asked Kabuto his question. Kabuto laughed.

"Why? Is there a certain someone you want info on? I'll admit that these cards are far from being complete, but I've managed to get info on all of the applicants entering this year's chunin exams, including your group. If you tell me anything you know about the person that interests you then I can look them up."

"Gaara, from Sunagakure, and Rock Lee from Konohagakure."

"Wow, you actually know their names. This is gonna be easy." Kabuto went into his card pile and pulled out two cards. He pushed his chakra into them and pulled another sly smile.

"Let me see." Sasuke demanded

"Alright, first up is Rock Lee. He's thirteen and as for missions he's completed twenty D-ranked and eleven C-ranked. His team leader is Might Guy. It seems that his taijutsu abilities have grown exponentially since last year, but other then that he doesn't have any other skills worth mentioning. Apparently he was a standout in his genin class last year, but he didn't take the chunin exams. His team consists of Neji Hyuga and Tenten. Next up is Gaara." I looked over at Sutaru. She tensed and leaned closer. Kabuto continued.

"It seems he's completed eight C-ranked missions and one B-ranked. Wow that's pretty impressive, not many genin get B-ranked missions. Anyway, since he's from Sunagakure I don't have that much info on him but apparently he returned from every single one of his missions without a single scratch on him." Sasuke tensed and I sighed. This was getting really boring.

"Every country has sent another hand-full of outstanding ninja this year. I don't know much about the Village Hidden in Sound since it's a new village in a brand new nation but every other country is well respected and is home to some outstanding genin."

"Anybody else feeling a little out of place?" Hinata asked.

"So Kabuto, what you're saying is…" Sakura started.

"That every shinobi here is exactly like Lee and Gaara, they were hand-picked to take this exam, the best and most elite genin of their country." Kabuto finished. Kitsuchi Sutaru and I looked around. Everyone else was swallowing and looked scared. We just shrugged our shoulders. I suddenly got a chill and looked behind me. I tensed as I noticed everyone was staring at me, Kitsuchi and Sutaru. I nudged Sutaru in the side.

"Is it just me or is everyone staring at us?"

"Well, they're staring at us because we're supposedly the weakest group of rookies here." Kitsuchi replied with a pout.

"No, when I say us I mean _us_." I pointed to myself and both of them. Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked up and noticed what I was talking about.

"Of course they're staring at you." We turned back around to face Kabuto.

"But why?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? You are the only team here consisting of three girls." We looked around and were surprised to see that we were.

"Every other team is either two guys and a girl, or three guys, but you three stand out since you're all girls."

"So what? They think we're weak or something?" Sutaru asked crossing her arms. Kabuto shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know what goes on in the minds of others. I'm just an information gatherer."

"Speaking of which, do you have cards for Ayane, Kitsuchi, and Sutaru? We don't know much about them and it would be interesting to learn a little more." Ino explained. Kabuto smiled.

"I can check. What're your full names?"

"Sutaru Sunake."

"Kitsuchi Fure."

"Ayane Kikuchi." He looked up at us and when his eyes fell on me he glared darkly. He flipped through his cards and sighed.

"I guess I better admit it. I lied when I said I have information on _all_ the applicants this year."

"What are you saying?" I asked. He glared at me again before continuing on.

"The only three I _don't _have information on is you." He said pointing to us. Everyone gasped.

"But why not?" Kitsuchi asked. He smiled at her.

"You travel a lot right?" We nodded.

"That's exactly why. You've never stayed in one place long enough for me to gather information about you, but don't worry, that'll all change very soon." He glared at me again, only this time it was more sinister. I glared back and turned around.

"I don't trust him." I whispered under my breath. Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at me.

"What do you mean?" Kitsuchi asked.

"There's something about him that I don't like. He keeps glaring at me and it's making me suspicious." Sutaru nodded.

"I suppose that would make you wonder. It's also odd that he doesn't have information on us."

"And how did he know we traveled? Normally someone would have asked if we traveled at all before acting like he knew we did." Kitsuchi nodded in agreement to my statement. I looked over and noticed Naruto shaking. Was he actually scared at what Kabuto said?

"Listen up! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and none of you are gonna beat me!" He yelled. I smiled.

"What's his problem?!" Ino asked Sakura. Sakura just hung her head.

"Naruto, you're such a loser." I heard Sasuke whisper under his breath. I glared at him but he ignored me.

"'And none of you are gonna beat me'. The nerve of that kid." Kiba whispered to Shikamaru.

"That idiot just turned a room of strangers into a room of enemies with just one statement." Shikamaru said his eye twitching. Kitsuchi frowned and walked over to Naruto. She smiled brightly.

"Way to go Naruto, I know none of these losers has what it takes to beat any of us. Especially the all girl team!" She said, louder then necessary. I smiled brightly and so did Sutaru.

"Yeah Kitsuchi!" We both yelled at the same time. She smiled triumphantly and walked back over to us. We looked at the crowd. They were glaring at us even angrier then before. Sakura suddenly ran up behind Naruto and grabbed him in a headlock.

"What are you blathering about?!" She asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm only telling the truth!" Naruto replied defensively. Sakura suddenly stopped and began to take a few steps back.

"Uh, sorry about my friend, he doesn't know when to shut up." She said to everyone. We sighed. I tensed as I felt something come towards us. I looked up as a ninja jumped into the air and threw two kunai at me. I jumped back but only to come face to face with another ninja with bandages all around his head. He threw a punch at me and I managed to dodge it. Unfortunately the punch missed me and headed straight for Kabuto. Kabuto saw the attack coming and moved his head just as the punch swept in front of him. He took a step back and smiled. Suddenly there was a crack and his glasses broke.

"What? He dodged the blow, but how did his glasses break?" Sasuke asked.

"The punch probably grazed his nose. Serves him right, that's what he gets for being so high and mighty." Shikamaru said with a grunt. I glared at the three ninja. They were definitely from Otogakure, and they were using sound to enhance their attacks. Suddenly Kabuto began to shake and he fell to the ground. He suddenly threw up and everyone gasped.

"Kabuto!" Sakura ran over to him.

"Hey Kabuto are you alright?" Naruto asked.

"Y-yeah I'm fine." He replied through gasps of air. Kitsuchi nudged me in the side.

"You ok?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm fine, the sound they used missed me." Kitsuchi nodded and we turned back to the three ninja from the Village Hidden in Sound. There was a boy on the left. He had spiked up black hair and was wearing his Otogakure headband on his forehead. He was wearing a gray shirt with a wide-opened neck with black spots on it. He had matching pants and big, black boots. He was also wearing a sweater that had the kanji for "death" on it.

The boy in the middle had bandages all around his head. The only part of his face that you could see was his left eye. He also had his headband on his forehead and had the same grey shirt with the wide open neck and black spots. His jacket was plain grey except for a thick black line that went down to the end of the jacket and around his waist. His pants also matched the spotted shirt and he too had black boots. He also had a big, grey, furry thing on his back. His sleeves went passed his hands and hit the floor. He slouched when he stood and cocked his head to the side.

The final member of the squad was a girl with black hair that fell to her feet and had a ribbon tied around the bottom. She had the same open neck shirt with matching pants that were under a matching skirt. Her green tank top covered the top half of her body. She was wearing black boots like the other two and she also had black arm warmers on. The three of them glared at us.

"You're a pushover aren't you? Pretty bad for an applicant for nearly four years now. Better add this to your precious cards, this year all three of the Village Hidden in Sound applicants will make chunin." The three ninja looked at me, smirked and then turned around. I sighed. What was with everyone here and glaring at me? Suddenly a large cloud of smoke appeared in the middle of the room. We all looked over.

"Alright everyone shut up!" The smoked cleared showing a large group of Konoha ninja. There was one man in the middle with a black trench coat on and his headband covered his entire head.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Ibiki Morino. I'm the proctor and chief examiner of the first part of the exam. You three sound ninja, you can't do whatever you want before the exam, or do you want to be disqualified?"

"Sorry sir, this is our first exam and we got a little carried away." The genin with bandages replied.

"Is that so? Well then it's about time someone put down a few ground rules. First of all, there will be no fighting unless permission is given by the examining officer. Even if permission is given, any actions that put another applicant's life in danger are strictly forbidden. Anyone who breaks that rule will be out, disqualified, no second chances."

"So this is a girlie exam is it?" The sound ninja with spiked hair whispered.

"Man that takes the fun out of everything." Kistuchi sighed. I smiled.

"Alright, time to start the first part of the exam. Turn in your written applications and pick up a seating assignment. When you get your seat number, sit down and wait for us to pass out the exam paper."

"A paper exam!" Naruto exclaimed. I sighed. Even though I hardly knew him, I had found out earlier that he was terrible at written tests. I walked up to the front, handed in my application, and picked up a number.

"'35'." I whispered under my breath. I looked around the room and soon found my seat. I sat down and took a deep breath. When I heard the seat beside me slide out I looked over. My face fell when I saw that it was Sasuke. I rested my head in my hand and turned away from him. I looked around the room and saw that Kitsuchi was sitting behind Kiba and Sutaru was sitting beside Gaara. I sighed as my exam paper was placed in front of me.

"Now listen up you little brats. There are a few rules that relate to this test. I will write them on the board and then explain them to you, but I won't take any questions. I will say this only once so listen up. Rule number one! Each one of you will start with ten points each. The test has ten questions on it. For every question you get wrong you lose one point. Rule number two! This test is still a team event. Passing will depend on your total points of all three cell members at the end of the exam." I looked at Sutaru and then at Kitsuchi. I smirked knowing that there was no way we were going to fail this one.

"The object of this exam is to have as few deductions as possible at the end of the test, with thirty points being the perfect score."

"W-wait a second! The whole point of the reductions is hard to follow as is…but what is this 'team total' you're talking about?!" Sakura suddenly asked.

"Weren't you listening when I said there were 'no questions' allowed? If you shut up you might actually learn something. This next part is crucial so you better listen. Rule number three! If during the course of the exam the proctors notice anything out of the ordinary, in other words, anything that would lead them to believe that you may be cheating, we will subtract two points from each member of that cheater's team. Therefore, some of you will run through your entire ten points and will then be asked to leave. One more thing, if any individual on a team loses all ten points, no matter how well the other two do, the entire team will be disqualified." I yawned and looked around the room. Some exam, I was already bored out of my mind.

"You have one hour, starting…now!" I flipped my page over and read through every question. Question ten caught my eye and I read it over.

"'Question ten will not be provided until forty-five minutes into the exam. At that time, please answer the proctor's question to the best of your ability'." I whispered under my breath. I smirked. Any question this guy asked I could answer without even batting an eyelash. My face then fell. Was the fact that I could do this test, seen as the answers had been drilled into my mind, a good thing? Or was it further proof that without _him_ I would never have become the ninja I am now? I shivered at the thought and quickly shrugged it off.

-Kitsuchi-

I smiled brightly as Kiba sat in front of me and went over his test.

"Seems the tables have turned." I whispered so only he could hear.

"What are you talking about?" He whispered back.

"Before you sat behind me but this time I'm behind you and I plan to make you feel as uncomfortable as possible." I smirked and Kiba sighed. I turned to look over my test. After the first couple of questions my head started to hurt so I looked up. I tapped my foot in annoyance. These questions were practically impossible and they kept me from annoying Kiba. The only one I could think of that might be able to answer them was Ayane. I sighed, it was impossible for genin our age to answer these questions, and it was against the rules to cheat. I suddenly tensed. That was it! This is a _ninja_ exam, and it's a ninja's job to collect information without getting caught! So this part of the test wasn't the written part itself, but a test of your information gathering abilities! I smiled to myself. They were making this way too easy.

_"Hey Kitsuchi, are you listening?"_ I tensed as a voice filled my head. I slowly relaxed as I recognized it as Sutaru's.

_"Sutaru, I thought you promised that you'd warn us before you entered our thoughts."_ I glared at the back of her head and she shrugged. Sutaru's amazing genjutsu abilities also gave her the uncanny ability to enter our thoughts and talk to us. By focusing chakra through her head and adding thoughts to it, she can leech the chakra out of her mind and into the minds of others. If she keeps that connection with a person and doesn't get caught she can also hear the thoughts of that person.

_"Have you figured out how to solve the test yet?" _She asked.

_"Yeah, all you have to do is cheat and not get caught."_

_"Do you think Ayane knows?"_

_"Please, you and I both know she's got this stuff drilled into her mind, I bet she's already finishing the test off right now."_

_"I guess so. Do you have an idea of how to get the answers, because I have no ideas right now."_

_"Don't worry, I'll make a miniature phoenix flower jutsu to gather the information and then relay it back to me. After I do that I'll send you the answers."_

_"Alright, good luck, and please don't get caught."_ I nodded and focused my chakra. Soon a tiny flame appeared. I looked around the room for someone who had the answers or was writing them down. I looked over and found a girl across the room writing down the answer to one of the last questions. I smiled and sent the flame over to her. It flew over and I watched as it read over her answers. After a couple of minutes it flew back over to me. It whispered the answers into my ear and I quickly wrote them down.

_"Sutaru, you listening?"_

_"Yeah, did you get the answers already?"_

_"Yeah, I just need to find someone with the answer to number five, eight, and nine."_

_"Perfect! Send your little flame over to me so I can get the answers and then send it off for more."_ I nodded, sent the flame over to Sutaru, and watched as it relayed the message. While I waited I looked around the room to see if anyone else had figured the point out yet. I looked at Kiba first and smirked. Akamaru was sitting on top of his head, and was telling Kiba the answers from there. I looked over at Shino and saw that he was using his bugs to tell him the answers. I then turned and saw that Tenten girl using mirrors to get the answers for not only herself but Rock Lee as well. I had to give them all credit, they were using some amazing moves to get the answers. Suddenly my little flame returned to me and I quickly sent it out for more.

-Sutaru-

_Perfect, only three more questions, then the tenth, and this test will be in the bag._ I thought to myself as I waited for the flame to return. I stretched and looked around the room. I had already pointed out that two of the "applicants" were actually chunin ninja sent in to look like genin applicants and help us cheat. I had no problem with it so I turned away. My gaze kept sweeping past one of the proctors. He had a weird chakra and there was something about him that was just…wrong. I shrugged the thought off and looked around the room. Everyone now was finding ways to cheat. I smiled to myself. If I was a proctor every single one of these amateurs would be out the door, except for a choice few who don't need to cheat to pass. I looked over at the boy from before, Neji, and noticed there was something strange about him. The veins near his eyes were sticking out and it was if he could see through the person in front of him. _Neat trick_. I thought to myself as my eyes scanned the rest of the applicants. I looked over at Gaara and found him putting his fingers up to his left eye. Sand fluttered around him and I looked to see a third eye sitting in front of another applicants test. My eyes grew wide.

"Amazing." I whispered under my breath. Gaara glanced at me and I quickly turned my head. Suddenly I felt something warm fly near my face and soon a small voice was whispering the answers to me. I nodded and wrote them down. I focused my chakra to reach out to Kitsuchi again.

_"Thanks, do you know how Ayane is doing?"_

_"Yeah, it's thanks to her that I got the three missing questions. She called the flame over and told it the answers. She's so sneaky, I don't even think one of the proctors caught her."_

_"Even if they did do you really think Ayane would go out without a fight?" _

_"Heh, I suppose not."_ I smiled to myself. I looked up at the clock. We had only been doing the test for twenty-five minutes. I stretched and leaned back in my seat. Only thirty-five more minutes, and then we might actually get to do something interesting.

-Ayane-

I sat in my seat completely bored. I had finished the test within the first ten minutes and now had nothing to do. I heard a pencil begin to scratch against the paper and glanced over at Sasuke. My eyes grew wide as I saw that he was writing his answers without even looking at his paper. He was staring at the person in front of him. When I leaned in further I saw that his eyes were red and they had small black swirls in them. I tensed, I had seen those eyes before. It was unmistakably the Sharingan eye. I suddenly looked up as a kunai flew forward and landed in front of another applicant.

"W-what the…?"

"That's five strikes, and you're out."

"Wha- no way!"

"Take your teammates and get out of this classroom, now!" I watched as the three ninja headed for the door. I sighed. The fewer people the better.

The test had almost been going for forty-five minutes. Soon the tenth question would be asked and then we could finally get out of here.

"Number 102, 23, 43, and 27 out. You all fail." I sighed. That was the thirteenth team they had kicked out so far. Suddenly a ninja from Sunagakure stood and slammed his hand on his desk.

"Cheated five times?! Where's the proof that I did?!" He demanded. Suddenly the proctor that called him out disappeared and reappeared, pinning him to the wall.

"Listen up you little punk, we proctors are the elite ninja chosen to watch over you little brats. Even in a group as skilled as this one, we are still the best. We miss absolutely nothing! Does this hurt? Well then I should warn you, I'm as skilled as I am powerful." The proctor dropped the other ninja and he slowly walked away. I looked back up at the clock and smiled as it signaled that the forty-five minutes was up.

"Alright kiddies, time for the tenth question. However, before I ask the question, there is a new rule that has to be added." I groaned, I hated rules, they were way too…restricting.

"This rule, is absolute, nothing can change it. First, you must choose to either reject or accept this question."

"Choose?! What happens if we choose to reject the question?!" Temari demanded.

"If you choose to reject the question and not answer it at all, then you will immediately lose all your points and you will fail along with your other two teammates."

"Then why would anyone choose to reject it?!" One other ninja asked. Ibiki smirked.

"Because of the other rule. If you choose to accept the question, and get it wrong, you and your team will never be allowed to take the chunin exams ever again." I smirked as everyone around me tensed.

"You can't be serious! That's ridiculous! There are ninja here who have taken the chunin exams more then once already, we know there are!" Kiba exclaimed. Ibiki laughed.

"Yes, but I wasn't the one making the rules in past years, but now I am. If you don't like it then reject the question and take the exam next year. Now if everyone is ready, let's begin. Those who choose to reject the question should raise their hands now. Once your number has been confirmed you may leave the room." An eerie silence filled the room. I looked around. This was the most pathetic scene I had ever seen in my life. Suddenly one ninja raised his hand.

"I-I quit! I can't do this, I'm rejecting the question."

"Number 50 failed. Numbers 111 and 130, you fail right along with him." I watched as team after team left the room. None of the rookies had given up yet, and neither had Gaara's team, Neji's team, Kabuto's team, the team from Otogakure, and some other teams that I didn't know. I suddenly looked over as Naruto's hand slowly lifted into the air. My eyes grew wide. Naruto wouldn't just quit like that, would he? Suddenly Naruto slammed his hand onto his desk.

"Never underestimate me! I will not run like a coward! You can say what you want, and even if I stay a rookie for the rest of my life I won't quit! I will become Hokage, even if it means I have to do it through my own stubbornness! I'm not afraid of you!" I smiled. Naruto was so full of surprises. I looked around the room. It was like everyone had heard what Naruto said, and it gave them courage.

"I'll ask you one more time, either accept or reject. This is a decision that could alter your entire life."

"I don't care! I never give up, that's my nindo, my ninja way." Ibiki turned to his proctors and they slowly nodded. He smiled.

"Good, now everyone still here, you've just passed the first exam!" I smirked. I knew there was more to this question then meets the eye. I turned to look at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. They both smiled and gave me the thumbs up.

"Congratulations, all eighty-one of you that are still here have just passed the first exam."

"What do you mean 'passed'? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked.

"There was no 'tenth question' beyond the 'accept or reject' thing." Ibiki replied with a smile.

"If there was no tenth question then what was the point of the first nine?! It was just a big waste of time!" Temari yelled.

"Those first nine questions did have a purpose, and they fulfilled their purpose perfectly."

"I don't get it." Temari said.

"The goal of the first exam, was to test your spying skills."

"Our spying skills?"

"You remember one of the first rules, was that if you failed then you would fail as a three team cell. This added the fear of also brining your own teammates down with you. The questions given to you were beyond the expectations of a genin-level ninja and so those of you who figured that out also figured that the only way to gain the information needed, was to cheat. We set up the test on the assumption that you'd have to cheat to get the answers. Also, to ensure that you got the correct answers, we included two chunin from last year to sit among you and answer the questions.

"Hah, I knew it!" Sutaru exclaimed happily. I smiled.

"Of course anyone who cheated and was caught immediately failed. It was our way of weeding out the slackers." Ibiki reached for his headband and slowly took it off. I tensed as I saw what was underneath. He had burn marks, long scars from slashes, and even holes where screws had been pushed into the scalp. He had obviously been caught, and tortured.

"Because there may be circumstances where being caught in the act of espionage can cost you more then just your life. It happens in ways where they take little by little, piece by piece, time and time again. Most of the circumstances also have lives that hang in the balance. The information you learn, is useless unless you can keep your mouth shut and your presence hidden.

"Learn that and learn it well for if you get information from a suspect or compromised source, then you practically do the enemies job for them and put the people you serve in danger. That is why we forced you to use your espionage skills to get the answers. It was also a way to weed out the students whose skills weren't yet up to par."

"Ok, that's all well and good, but what was the deal with the tenth question?" Temari asked.

"Yes, the tenth question, was the first real test on this exam."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked confused.

"Allow me to explain, the tenth question was a choice between two answers that were both difficult and dangerous. Those who chose to reject the question failed along with their teammates and those who accepted the question but failed to answer it weren't even given the right to try again. It was an unfair, no-win decision. So why did I choose to offer it? Well let's say you all acquire the rank of chunin. You are then assigned to steal an important enemy document without knowing the skills or military preparedness of your foe. You may have to face mine fields and traps that have been set up around the enemy territory. Now, do you accept the mission, or do you reject it? If you reject the mission then you may save your life, as well as the lives of your teammates, but could a chunin get away with only taking on the safe missions? Of course not! As a chunin, there will be some missions that you can not reject. A ninja must show courage and bravery that inspires those around them and helps them overcome their own fears. This is a talent that we cherish most in our chunin cell leaders.

"Those who can't gamble their own fate, who would trade today's certain risk for tomorrow's uncertain future, never take the chance that lies before them, are weaklings who are unworthy of the chunin title! By choosing to accept, you answered the harsh and difficult tenth question correctly. If you keep that spirit that you have now, you will undoubtedly be able to face and conquer the difficulties that face you on your journey. You've passed the first hurdle. Part one of the chunin exam is now closed. I hope you all fight a good fight."

"Yes, woo hoo! We did it!" I laughed as Naruto jumped out of his seat, overly excited as usual. I tensed as I felt another presence head towards us. Suddenly a black ball came hurdling through the window. It landed on the ground and I saw a body appear out of it. Suddenly four kunai appeared and stuck a black cloth to the walls. The cloth read "NEWLY ARRIVED SECOND CHIEF COMMANDING OFFICER ANKO MITARASHI!" I sighed. That was all we needed, another Naruto.

"Alright people listen up, I'm the second commanding officer and chief Anko Mitarashi. Now get up, time's quickly wasting away and we have work to do, so follow me!" We all stayed completely still, none of us dared to move. Ibiki slowly walked out from behind the cloth.

"Can't you sense the mood in here?" He asked. Anko blushed. She looked around twenty years old and her light purple hair was tied back in a spiked bun. Her bangs covered her forehead and the sides fell just above her chin. She was wearing an orange skirt with fishnet leggings that were cut above the knees. She wore a fishnet top under a tan trench coat and had a necklace with what looked like a tooth attached to it. Her grey eyes stared daggers at us.

"Eighty-one of you are still here?! Ibiki you passed twenty-seven teams! Obviously you went too easy on them."

"This year it seems the students have exceptional…caliber."

"Yeah right, I'll be sure to cut that number in half before the next test is done. I get pumped up just thinking about it! Before I tell you more details, we have to move to your new location, now follow me!"

We followed Anko until she stopped outside of what looked to be a huge forest.

"Alright kiddies, welcome to the arena of your second exam. Training ground number 44. Also known as, 'The Forest of Death'."

"Wow, this place is kind of creepy." Sakura stated, a shiver running down her spine.

"Heh, you're all about to find out, why they call this place 'The Forest of Death'."

"'Ooo, you're about to find out, why they call this place the Forest of Death'. Hah, like that's really gonna scare us, you're just trying to psyche us out." Naruto pointed at Anko accusingly. Anko smirked, pulled out a kunai, and threw it at Naruto. It just passed him, but cut his cheek. Anko quickly ran forward, jumped, and landed behind Naruto.

"You know, you're pretty cocky, and it's always the cocky ones who die first. You're always the first ones to spill that rich, lovely, luscious blood." Anko stuck out her tongue and licked off some of the dripping blood. Suddenly she pulled out another kunai just as a grass ninja came up behind her. The grass ninja held the other kunai in her tongue and handed it to Anko.

"Your kunai, I believe you dropped it."

"Thank you." The grass ninja remained behind Anko and Anko glared at her.

"Don't just stand behind me radiating bloodlust, unless you're in a hurry to die." She told the grass ninja, flipping her kunai.

"I'll try to keep it under control. The smell of fresh blood really makes me crazy, and I was already revved up when you cut a strand of my precious hair."

"I'm sorry about that." The grass ninja slowly pulled her tongue back in her mouth and turned to walk away. She sent me a quick glare and I tensed. This presence, I knew it. The only problem was that I didn't know where it was coming from. I began to shake. It was as if _he_ was all around me.

"Hey Ayane, are you ok?" Sutaru asked.

"I-I can feel him, but I can't tell where he is." Sutaru became very serious and Kitsuchi stood in front trying to keep attention away from us.

"Ayane, you need to calm down. Focus your energy on that feeling and you will be able to find where he is."

"But I-I can't. It's like he's all around me." I put my hands on my head.

"Ayane, focus. You have to focus or the feeling will get worse."

"I-I can't."

"Ayane, you have to!"

"But I can't!" I yelled. Suddenly all the attention fell on me. Anko walked over.

"Is everything alright here?" She asked. I looked up at her and I was still shaking.

"If you're afraid of the forest then why don't you just back out?" I glared at her.

"I'm not afraid of your stupid forest so don't act like you know me." I spat at her. She stared down at me.

"Excuse me?" I glared up at her.

"You heard me. Or do you need me to speak slower and clearer so you can understand better?" I retorted. Anko suddenly reached down and pulled me towards her by the scruff of the neck. She held me up and glared darkly at me. Everyone around gasped.

"I don't like your attitude." She said through clenched teeth.

"And yours isn't any better. Now put me down." I demanded.

"Or you'll what?" She asked. I sighed. I took my hands from my sides and placed one under her wrist and the other a few inches from her face. I unsheathed one of my wrist blades. The tip stopped just in front of her nose.

"Put me down so that I don't have to dirty my blades with your blood." Anko glared at me and a flash of fear crossed her face. I smiled triumphantly, knowing that I had won, and she unwillingly let me go. I sheathed my wrist blade and smiled at Sutaru and Kitsuchi. Everyone around was staring at me with wide eyes. I shrugged my shoulders. Anko glared at me one last time before she walked over to the center of the group.

"Now, before we begin the first exam I need you to sign these consent forms." She held up a large pile of papers.

"Why do we have to sign those?" Naruto asked.

"We need to get all the details before the first deaths occur. When you sign these it means we can't be held liable. You wouldn't want me to get in trouble would you?" She asked smiling brightly.

"Before I hand out the forms I'll explain the point of the test. When you sign these forms you and your team will be asked to submit them behind that hut over there." She pointed to the hut where three ninja were waiting for us. Anko then began to pass around the forms.

"Now about the test. To put it simply, it's a no-holds-barred survival test. Let's begin with the topography of the arena. Training ground 44 is an arena surrounded by a circular perimeter. The perimeter is interrupted by forty-four gates around the area. There are forests, a river, and in the center there is a tower, about ten kilometers from the gates. Within the confides of this area you will be undergoing the survival test. You can use any ninja arts or weapons you have at your disposal. It's kind of a fight-to-the-death version of 'capture-the flag' or in this case 'capture-the-scroll'."

"'Capture the scroll'?" One of the other ninja asked.

"Exactly! There's a scroll of 'heaven' and a scroll of 'earth' and your objective is to acquire both of these scrolls. There are eighty-one of you here, which means twenty-seven, three member teams. Thirteen teams will start with the ten (heaven) scroll, and the other fourteen will start with a chi (earth) scroll. You need both scrolls to pass. So basically, you have to hold on to your own scroll, get the other one needed, and then bring them both to the tower in the center of the arena."

"In other words, at least half of us will fail the test." Sakura summarized.

"Uh-huh! And to make things even more interesting, there's a time limit. You have one hundred twenty hours to get both scrolls. That gives you exactly five days." Anko explained holding her open hand up.

"Five days!" Ino exclaimed.

"What are we supposed to do about food?!" Choji demanded.

"That's your problem. The forests are filled with nature's bounty, but they're also filled with man-eating animals, deadly insects, and poisonous plants. There's no way as many as thirteen teams will pass this. As the time shortens the trials will come harder and faster then before. You'll have less time to make mistakes and heal your injuries. You will be around enemies constantly and will probably have to sleep with one eye open.

"So, in addition to those who will die while trying to get a scroll, some of you are bound to succumb to exhaustion, starvation, exposure, and dehydration. Now, let's talk about the rules! Obviously, the teams that fail to make it to the tower within the time limit – and with both the heaven and earth scrolls – are out! Also any team that loses a member, whether to instant death, or severe injury, will be disqualified. Lastly, you may not leave the forest perimeter until the time limit is up, no breaks for anyone. Oh, and you are forbidden from looking at the contents of your scrolls until you are inside the tower."

"And what happens if we look?" Naruto asked. Anko smiled.

"That's for those who look to know. If any of you actually make it to chunin, there will be times where you'll have to protect secret documents, this is kind of like a test of your trustworthiness. Alright kiddies, that's all the explanation you get. We'll trade one scroll for three consent forms. When you get yours choose a gate to enter and wait for the signal to begin." We looked over at the booth as a black cloth fell over it.

"We're ready to distribute the scrolls." One of the other ninja called.

"Good, oh and one more piece of advice, stay alive!" Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I smirked. This exam was finally becoming interesting. We watched as Sasuke's team headed towards the booth. We were after them.

"Hey Ayane?" I looked over at Sutaru.

"Yeah?"

"Can you feel the presence anymore?" I shook my head.

"No, it's like it was right here and then suddenly disappeared."

"Do you think he can block his presence?" She asked.

"Maybe, but I doubt he can do it for long. Protecting a chakra as powerful as his must cost him a great deal." Sutaru nodded.

"Gate thirteen, time to get your scroll." We walked over to the booth. We each handed in our consent forms.

"Alright, you three will receive this heaven scroll. Which one of you will hold it?" We looked at each other.

"I vote for Kitsuchi." I stated.

"Well I vote for Sutaru." Kitsuchi said.

"But I vote for Ayane." We all smiled.

"I'll hold it first, Kitsuchi you can hold it second, and Sutaru you can hold it third." We looked at each other and nodded. I took the scroll, stuffed it into my carrying case, and we left the booth.

"Alright, each of you follow your proctors to your gates. When the signal sounds the exam will begin!" We smiled and followed our proctor to gate thirteen. He unlocked it and it slowly opened. We each took a deep breath.

"You guys ready?" I asked.

"Definitely." Sutaru replied.

"Yes! I am so pumped, I can't wait to get in there!" Kitsuchi said with a bright smiled. I laughed. Suddenly we heard a faint whistle.

"Good luck." Our proctor said with a smile. We smiled back and leaped into the gate.


	11. Chapter 10: Ayane's Worst Fears Revealed

**Chapter Ten**

**Ayane's Worst Fears! The Giant Snake **

**Orochimaru Appears!**

We leaped through our gate and headed deep onto the forest.

"Hey Sutaru, you sense anyone yet?" I asked as we jumped into a tree and began to leap from branch to branch.

"Not yet, I doubt we'll find anyone for now, we only just started." We suddenly stopped as screams filled the air.

"Wow…that sure was fast." Kitsuchi stated.

"Someone's obviously getting lucky." Sutaru spat. I sighed.

"I hope it doesn't take us long to find an earth scroll, I really want to get out of here."

"What's wrong Ayane? You scared?" Kitsuchi teased.

"No, I'm nervous. The fact that I felt _his_ presence out there means that he might just be in _here_." Kitsuchi's face fell.

"I guess you're right. Maybe it would be better if we hurry this up." We nodded and began to jump forward again.

We had been traveling for half an hour and we still hadn't found anyone. I sighed.

"Sutaru, anything?"

"No I'm not get- wait…I think I've got something." I smiled brightly.

"Where are they?"

"They're about twenty feet away from us, and closing in fast. They've obviously picked us up."

"Can you tell what village they belong to?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Well, judging by the speed they have in a forest like this I'm guessing they're probably from either the Village Hidden in the Grass, or Konohagakure." We smiled.

"Great, I can't wait to get into our first fight." Kitsuchi said rubbing her hands together.

"Wait, maybe it would be better if we trapped them instead of fighting them." Kitsuchi's face fell.

"But that's no fun!" She pouted.

"No, but it'll also help keep our strength up incase we meet stronger foes. I have a feeling that the longer this drags on the more desperate people are going to get." I explained. Kitsuchi sulked but nodded in agreement anyway.

"Well that's a great idea and all, but how are we going to come up with a plan within the two minutes we have until they reach us?" Sutaru asked. I smiled.

"Easy, just leave it to me. I'll capture them one by one. All you guys have to do is keep them distracted." Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked at me skeptically. I winked and they smiled.

"Alright, good luck." We nodded to each other and then disappeared. Kitsuchi and Sutaru waited for the three ninja to arrive.

"Well, well, well, looks like we found our first victims." One of them announced. They were all from the Village Hidden in the Grass. There were two boys and a girl.

"Yeah, but where's the third member?" The girl asked.

"She got stung by a poisonous bee and died a couple of minutes ago." Sutaru quickly explained.

"Then where's the body?"

"Back where she died obviously. We left it behind and moved on." I smiled. Kitsuchi was an amazing liar.

"Too bad, looks like you're already disqualified, better hand over your scroll, you won't be needing it." One of the ninja reached his hand out.

"Sorry, but if you want the scroll then you're going to have to take it from us yourselves." Kitsuchi spat. The three ninja glared.

"Fine, have it your way." They jumped at us and Kitsuchi and Sutaru quickly dodged the attack. When the other three recoiled Kitsuchi and Sutaru began to jump forward. Just as planned the ninja quickly followed behind. I watched and slowly began to follow the two groups. The grass ninja followed Kitsuchi and Sutaru closely and didn't take their eyes off of them. I smiled. This was going to be easier than I thought. I quickly prepared my fine line of wire and quickly jumped down. I grabbed the girl first since she was the lightest and easiest to carry. Before she knew what had happened, I had her tightly tied up. She hung from the tree like a caterpillar in its cocoon.

"What the hell is this?!" She demanded. Her two companions looked up.

"Hold on, we'll come get you!" They began to climb up to her. This plan was going exactly the way it was supposed to. I watched and waited. The tallest boy quickly tripped the first trap and a paper bomb exploded. The two ninja flew back and one of them hit the tree with the second trap on it. He tripped the trap and wire after wire surrounded him until he was attached to the tree.

The third ninja quickly flipped over in midair and put his feet out as he reached a tree. He stopped himself and landed on a tree branch.

"What the hell is going on?" He whispered under his breath.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kitsuchi asked. He stared straight at her.

"We'll be taking your scroll now." Sutaru said putting her hand in front of her.

"But what will you do with it?! You're other companion is dead!"

"That's what you think." I said with a smile. He looked up and his face filled with fear. He suddenly looked forward, but Kitsuchi was already too close. She punched him in the face and he flew forward. Sutaru quickly ran and threw a kunai at him. It pierced his shirt and sent him flying into a tree. The kunai kept him in place. Before he could react I quickly wound the wire around him. I jumped down and landed between Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

"Wow. That was pretty sweet Ayane." Sutaru said with a wink. I smiled.

"Thanks." I slowly walked over to the other ninja.

"Now tell me, which one of you has the scroll? You definitely won't be needing it." I smirked

"You'll have to kill me first." He replied with a glare. I sighed.

"I'll check the girl, Kitsuchi you can check the other boy, and Sutaru you can check this one here." We nodded and jumped towards our target. I searched the girl but couldn't find their scroll. I jumped back down to where Sutaru was.

"Anything?" I asked. She shook her head.

"Yes!" We looked up as Kitsuchi fell in front of us. She held an earth scroll in her hand. We smiled brightly.

"Yes, this means we pass and we can head to the tower!" Sutaru exclaimed. We began to walk away.

"Hey, wait! Aren't you going to untie me?!" The grass ninja demanded. I sighed. I walked over to him and placed a kunai in front of his feet.

"Have fun." I smiled at him and walked back towards Kitsuchi and Sutaru. We smiled at each other and then jumped off.

"Wow, I didn't think it would be this easy." Kitsuchi stated as I handed her the heaven scroll. She put the heaven scroll in her carrying case and handed the earth scroll to Sutaru.

"Yeah, I thought for sure we'd have to put up a real fight. Now I'm more disappointed then before." Sutaru sighed. I smiled. We had been in the forest for almost an hour and we were heading slowly towards the tower.

"I wonder what the scrolls say." Kitsuchi said.

"I have no idea, and I'm not about to find out." I replied. We jumped towards another branch when I felt a jolt. My whole body froze and I fell forward.

"Ayane!" Kitsuchi screamed. They both jumped down to me and caught me before I hit the ground.

"Ayane, are you ok?!" Sutaru demanded.

"Th-the presence…i-it's back." I began to shake. Sutaru bent down to my height and stared into my eyes.

"Ayane, calm down and focus, where is the presence coming from?" She asked.

"I-I don't think I can tell." I replied.

"Yes you can. Now focus!" She demanded. I looked into her green eyes. They were completely calm and emotionless. I took a deep breath.

"O-ok. I'll try." She nodded. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the presence. It took me awhile to find it but I located it. My eyes shot open.

"He's fifty feet north-west of us."

"Good, then we'll stay away from there." Kitsuchi said. I shook my head.

"We can't." Sutaru stared at me shocked.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because…he's hurting someone close to us."

After I explained to Sutaru and Kitsuchi what I felt we headed straight towards the source.

"Ayane, are you sure you want to do this?" Kitsuchi asked worry in her voice. I was shaking all over.

"W-we have no choice. We have to stop him." I replied.

"No, _you_ don't have to stop him, but we can." Kitsuchi suddenly said. I looked at her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Ayane, we all know if you even go near him, you're going to lose it and only get yourself hurt. We'll go ahead and fight him. You should stay back and out of sight."

"B-but I want to help." I told Kitsuchi. She sighed.

"Ayane you know if you help you'll destroy yourself from the inside out." Sutaru said.

"But if I don't ever face him then I'll spend the rest of my life running away and afraid."

"Ayane, sometimes it's easier to run." She retorted. I sighed.

"Fine, if it makes you guys happy, I'll stay hidden. I will, however, remain close enough so that if anything goes wrong I can help." Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked at each other and nodded.

"Alright, deal." Kitsuchi replied. I smiled and looked ahead. My heart beat quickened as we drew closer. I knew that this would be the moment that would truly make, or break me.

As we came closer to the area where _his_ presence was voices grew louder. I tensed as I heard Sakura's voice. Wherever Sakura was, it meant that Sasuke was right behind her. Sutaru glanced at me, a worried expression on her face. I ignored her and continued to look forward. When we were a few feet away from the fight we stopped in a small cluster of trees that made the perfect hiding spot.

"Ayane, you stay here and keep hidden." Sutaru whispered to me. I nodded and sat back. Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at each other, nodded, and jumped into the clearing. I moved to the side of the tree shelter and looked around the corner. I knew I was well hidden and from here I could also watch. From where I was I could see Sakura sitting on a branch, Naruto pinned by a kunai against a tree, and Sasuke standing by Sakura. When I looked further I could see a figure standing with its face on fire. I tensed as I quickly recognized who it was.

"Kitsuchi, Sutaru, what are you doing here?" I heard Sakura ask. They ignored her question and stared at the figure. The flames slowly disappeared and the figure's face slowly flaked off. The headband showed that the figure was a grass ninja, but I knew better than to believe everything I saw.

"To think one so young would have such a mastery over the Sharingan eye. Truly a worthy heir to the infamous Uchiha clan. In fact, I believe that I will have _you _after all." The hiss of his calm, cool voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Sasuke!" I watched as Sakura ran over to him. The figure slowly removed the paper that covered his headband, revealing an Otogakure symbol. I tensed. I knew there was something wrong with those ninja.

"It's marvelous fun to have you show me all your tricks. You really are _his_ brother aren't you? You can see and conceal things with your Sharingan that even Itachi could never dream of." I tensed and I noticed Kitsuchi did the same.

"Who the hell are you?!" Sasuke yelled.

"I am Orochimaru. If you'd ever like a rematch then I suggest you pass this exam as quickly as possible." I covered my ears as I heard his name. He slowly burned Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura's scroll and smiled.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Kitsuchi and Sutaru. Tell me, where's Ayane?" Everyone turned to look at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. Shock on their faces

"She's busy at the moment. We've come to keep you entertained until then." Kitsuchi replied darkly.

"Wait, Kitsuchi, Sutaru, you and Ayane know him?" Sakura asked.

"So, my dear Ayane hasn't told anyone yet? That is very much like her, she always was such a liar." Kitsuchi and Sutaru glared darkly at him.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about Ayane!" Kitsuchi yelled.

"Now Kitsuchi, you really think I wouldn't know my own _daughter_?" I tensed and everyone gasped. Tears stung at the corner of my eyes. Why? Why now? And why in front of Naruto, Sakura…Sasuke? Tears fell down my cheeks.

"Ayane? I think it would be more polite for you to come out now. I haven't seen you in so long and I would like to talk to you." He yelled.

"Shut up! You were never a father to her and you never will be!" Sutaru defended. Suddenly Orochimaru lunged at Sutaru. She managed to dodge the attack but he clipped her side and she flew back. I covered my mouth so that I wasn't tempted to call out. Tears falling down my face.

"You bastard!"

"Now, now Kitsuchi, it's not nice to call people names." He lunged at Kitsuchi. She unsheathed her swords and fought back as best she could. Orochimaru was too fast for her and punched her in the face. She flew back and hit a tree right beside my hiding spot. She glared at Orochimaru. I prayed that she didn't look at me because if she did, she would give away my hiding spot. She jumped back up and landed beside Sasuke. He glanced at her his eyes still wide. Sutaru was back up and she landed beside Sakura.

"This little game of hide-and-go-seek is getting very irritating. Where is Ayane?" He demanded.

"Stay away from her!" Sutaru yelled.

"Excuse me Sutaru, but this is a father-daughter situation and you have no right to interfere, none of you do." He glared at everyone. His gaze slowly observed the area. I tensed as his eyes met mine. _Please don't see me, please don't see me!_ I pleaded. He sighed.

"Why don't you just tell me where she is? I really don't want to do anything I'd regret." I tensed. That was a threat. If anything happened to anyone, I don't know what I'd do. Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked at each other and both jumped at Orochimaru. They punched and kicked. He was fast and blocked every single attack. They both struck at him and he blocked both attacks. He grabbed Sutaru's hand and Kitsuchi's ankle. He smiled and pulled them together before throwing them away like pieces of trash. Kitsuchi hit a tree and Sutaru was thrown at my hiding spot. I dodged Sutaru but my shelter was destroyed. Orochimaru smiled brightly.

"Well, well, well, it seems Ayane has decided to join us." I glared at him. Sutaru blocked me from his view. His face fell.

"Sutaru, you're becoming more of a nuisance."

"I don't care! I won't let you take her away from us again." She replied through clenched teeth.

"And don't think I'm going to let you take her either. You'll have to kill the both of us before we allow you to take her." She jumped over and stood in front of me protectively. I looked out from behind them and looked up at Sasuke. He was staring at me, his face still full of shock. When he noticed me staring at him he looked away. I turned away. It felt like I had suddenly lost everything again. Again Orochimaru, my-my father had taken everything I cared about away from me. I looked at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. Although it seemed like nothing had happened to them, they were badly injured.

"Ayane, look at you. Sitting there and crying like a helpless kitten. That fool of a mother of yours really did ruin you." I tensed.

"Shut up! You don't have any right to talk about her!" I screamed.

"Ayane, I have just as much right to talk about her as you do." He sighed.

"No..." I whispered under my breath.

"Just as soft as she was. I really should have taken care of her before she got her filthy hands on you. She's made you into something rather…disgusting." I glared at him.

"You're wrong! My mother made me who I am! You're the one who killed her! You're the one who's trying to make me something disgusting! You're the one who should have died, not her…" I trailed off.

"Now Ayane, you're going to hurt my feelings. I know as well as you do that what you just said is a lie. Your mother changed who you are. I tried to keep you true to yourself, but she interfered. You can try to hide it, but I know that deep down you're nothing but a cold-blooded killer who can't wait until you stain your blades with someone's blood." I tensed.

"Shut up! We know Ayane and she would never want something like that?!" Kitsuchi defended. He laughed.

"Such naïve friends, then again, friendships are always naive, useless things."

"Enough! Get lost, or else." Sutaru warned.

"Hmm, I have to say I don't like the odds here, and I believe I have already wasted enough time with you children as it is. I'll be sure to see you again Sasuke, Ayane, and I suppose I'll leave my sound ninja to have some fun with you."

"Wait, what are you talking about?! We never want to see your face again!" Sakura yelled.

"Perhaps not, but wishing won't chase me away. It hasn't stopped me from seeing Ayane again, and it won't stop me from seeing Sasuke." Orochimaru made a hand sign. It was tora, but with the middle fingers crossed over the index. I recognized it at once. It was a move that he had taught to me before. His neck suddenly grew longer and I knew exactly who his target was. Suddenly something pulled me forward, and it was like everything was moving in slow motion. I pushed past Kitsuchi and Sutaru and jumped forward. Just as Orochimaru reached Sasuke I jumped in front. I felt his cold teeth sink into my neck and pain shot through my body. He released me and smiled. I slowly turned my head to the side to see Sasuke's shocked expression. I smiled weakly.

"Ayane…but why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You wouldn't have moved. You've always been stubborn like that."

"But Ayane…"

"Sasuke, I never meant for you to find out about me, about my family, like this. I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please…forgive…me." I felt myself fall forward and my feet left the branch.

"Ayane!" I heard Sasuke scream. I looked up at him as I fell. I smiled and then everything went black.

-Sutaru-

I watched in horror as Ayane fell off the branch. Sasuke jumped forward, but his hands missed her own.

"Ayane!" He screamed. She plummeted, fast and hard, towards the ground below. I tensed as she hit every branch as she fell. I wanted to move, to catch her, but I knew that I would never be able to reach her. Tears fell down my cheeks as Ayane finally landed, hard, on the ground beneath us. Orochimaru sighed.

"Such a fool of a daughter. I suppose she gets that from her mother as well. But I suppose that giving her that special present is my way of proving that she is mine." Sasuke looked up at Orochimaru, a dark glare on his face. He lunged at Orochimaru and Orochimaru quickly dodged the attack. He grabbed Sasuke by the throat and pinned him to the tree.

"Don't think I'm going to go without giving you something too Sasuke." Orochimaru's fangs grew larger and he bit down into Sasuke's neck. Sasuke tensed. Orochimaru released him and smiled before throwing Sasuke at Sakura.

"There, now you belong to me too." Kitsuchi suddenly yelled out and jumped at Orochimaru. She struck at him hard and fast. She managed to get in a few punches and kicks and her eyes began to glow violet. Orochimaru's smile faded and he dodged her attacks as best he could. She kicked him and he flew into a tree. He looked up, his long black hair falling over his face, his right eye the only part showing. He glared at Kitsuchi and when he noticed her glowing eyes he smiled.

"Kitsuchi, after all this time you still haven't gotten control of yourself. Such a pity." He smirked and lunged at Kitsuchi. She tried to block the attack but Orochimaru grabbed her arm and threw her against a tree. Before she fell he threw a demon wind shuriken at her. She saw it coming and moved as far to the side as she could. The shuriken caught her left shoulder and stabbed through her, keeping her attached to the tree. She screamed out in pain.

"Kitsuchi!" I yelled. Orochimaru looked up at me, an evil smile on his face. He put his hand out and beckoned me over. I glared at him. I pulled out my kunai and jumped at him. He threw a punch and I quickly dodged it, came around, and swung my kunai. He moved, but the tip of my kunai reached his arm and cut it. He grunted and jumped back. He looked at his arm and sighed.

"Now that wasn't very nice Sutaru. Then again, I suppose your skills have greatly improved compared to what they were last time we met." I glared at him.

"If you liked that, then you're going to love this." I ran at him again, just as I was about to reach him I stopped, fell under the branch he was on, flipped up behind him, and struck him across the back. He yelled out in pain. I put my feet on the branch and jumped backward. I flipped and landed gracefully on another branch. He turned and glared at me.

"This is becoming very irritating." He lunged at me and I tried to dodge, but he was too fast. He swung around and punched me across the face. I flew back and before I hit a tree he appeared behind me and kicked my back. I flew face first into a tree and fell. I slowly stood to my feet. Suddenly Orochimaru appeared in front of me and picked me up by the throat. His hand closed tightly around my wind pipe. I gasped for breath. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, I was going to die. I lifted my hands up and made the "Star Snake" hand sign. Orochimaru looked at my hand sign and a sick awe lighted his eyes.

"Well, if it isn't the acclaimed 'Sutaru Sunake' hand sign of the Sunake clan. How very interesting." I focused my chakra. Suddenly Orochimaru's grip became tighter. I suddenly lost my concentration, but felt myself leave his grasp. I was moving, very quickly, somewhere. I suddenly landed, and everything went black.

-Kitsuchi-

I watched as Sutaru disappeared from Orochimaru. I glared at him as he turned to face me.

"Well, I suppose my work here is done, for now. I'll be sure to see you all again." I looked over at Sasuke. He was shaking and screaming out in pain.

"Wait, what did you do to Sasuke and Ayane?!" Sakura demanded.

"Just consider it something to remember me bye." Orochimaru suddenly began to melt into the tree branch. I watched as he disappeared and yelled out in frustration. I looked down at Sakura and Sasuke. She hugged Sasuke. Sakura then slowly turned from Sasuke, to Naruto, and then to me. When she noticed I was still awake she slowly put Sasuke down and jumped over to me.

"Kitsuchi, are you ok?"

"Fine, except for the fact that I have a shuriken sticking into my shoulder, Ayane is badly injured, and Sutaru has teleported to…somewhere." Sakura helped pull the shuriken out of my shoulder and I fell onto a branch. I took a deep breath as pain shot through my body.

"I'm…sorry." Sakura apologized through gasps of breath. She was crying and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I slowly stood to my feet.

"We have to find shelter for the night. Come and help me move them." Sakura nodded. We managed to get Naruto and Sasuke down from the trees and found a tree with its roots sticking up that made a perfect shelter. After we had Naruto and Sasuke put down comfortably we slowly walked over to Ayane. My face fell as I looked down at her. I had never seen her so badly injured before. I helped Sakura lift Ayane up. She was unconscious but still cringed and shook violently as we carried her over to the shelter. We both sat down and Sakura helped me bandage my wound.

"Who was that man from before?" She asked suddenly.

"Orochimaru." I answered.

"Why did he come for Sasuke?"

"I have no idea."

"Is he…is he really…?"

"What is it Sakura?"

"Is he really Ayane's father?" She asked as she finished tying the knot in the bandage. She backed off and moved to the opposite side of me. I looked up at her, not sure whether to answer. I sighed realizing that she had heard everything and that there was no one I could lie my way out of this one.

"Yes, Orochimaru is Ayane's father." Sakura looked down at Ayane.

"But, she's nothing like him."

"Yes, well she has her mother to thank for that." Sakura looked back up at me.

"Her mother?" I nodded.

"Ayane's mother was the only one who really cared about Ayane. She was loving and caring and always made Ayane feel like she had a purpose in life other then to kill the enemy. Orochimaru spent hours training Ayane everyday since she was two. From sunrise until late into the night every single day Orochimaru trained Ayane in the art of ninjutsu, genjutsu, fuin jutsu (sealing techniques), and kinjutsu (forbidden jutsu)." Sakura gasped but I continued on, "she never shows it but Ayane is one of the greatest fighters I've ever met." Sakura looked at me completely surprised. It was hard to explain such private things to someone Ayane hardly knew, but by now I had no choice.

"She's also pretty smart too. She answered every question on that exam paper in less then ten minutes and I'm almost positive she got every answer right. But the only problem with Ayane having Orochimaru as a father is…" I trailed off.

"Is what…?"

"That she has an uncontrollable temper."

"That explains why she changes her mood so quickly." I nodded.

"Also, Ayane ran away when she was younger and ever since she did she's always had anxiety attacks. They can be pretty bad sometimes too, but the worst part is when she goes into seclusion."

"Seclusion?"

"She goes into a state that causes her to become completely emotionless. She also threatens to kill the person that caused it to happen, and it's not a bluff. A couple of years ago she almost killed a chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist." Sakura stared at me shocked. She looked down at Ayane and then at Sasuke and her face fell. She moved her hand towards the weird mark that appeared on his neck. I looked down at Ayane. She had one on her neck as well. The three black swirls emitted a sick chakra and it was making me uncomfortable. I looked back up at Sakura.

"Though this exam states that we are enemies we're going to have to work together for now. We both have to stay awake since reflexes are weakest when you first wake up." Sakura nodded and slowly stood up.

"If we're going to protect Sasuke, Naruto, and Ayane until they're better then we're going to have to make traps. You stay here, I'll set everything up." I nodded and watched as Sakura left.

Sakura didn't return until later on in the night. The sun would be coming up soon and we were both exhausted. Soon her eyes began to droop.

"Sakura? Sakura!" Suddenly her eyes shot open.

"Wha-what?! I'm awake!" I sighed.

"You've never spent a whole night awake have you?" Sakura shook her head.

"Why, have you?" She asked. Before I answered she took out three cloths. She covered them with water, folded the cloths, and placed them on Ayane, Naruto, and Sasuke's foreheads.

"Yes I have. When we weren't in the safety of a village's borders we often had to spend many nights at a time awake. I think the longest we ever stayed awake was three nights in a row."

"Three whole nights?!"

"Uh-huh, it was hard but we got through it."

"But why did you have to stay awake as long as that? Was it because Orochimaru was following you?"

"Well, Orochimaru was only part…of…it."

"Only part? What other parts were there? Were they that bad?" I suddenly tensed.

"Kitsuchi? Kitsuchi?"

"Shh, I sense something." Suddenly we both tensed as we heard footsteps coming towards us. Sakura slowly, and shakily, reached into her carrying case and pulled out a kunai. I did the same. When we turned our faces fell as a small squirrel pranced over to us.

"You've got to be kidding." I said with a twitch. The squirrel continued to run over to us when suddenly Sakura threw a kunai at it. The kunai missed but scared the squirrel so it ran the other way.

"Why did you do that?" I asked.

"No reason." She answered. I looked at her skeptically. She was planning something. I suddenly tensed and looked forward.

"Heh, it seems you've both stayed up all night. Now do us a favour and wake Sasuke and Ayane up, we'd very much like to face them."

The three sound ninja from before were standing in front of us, and they were prepared for a fight. I glared at them, so this was what Orochimaru meant when he said he'd have his sound ninja take care of the rest.

"What are you talking about?! Orochimaru came looking for Sasuke, but what do you three have to do with that?!" The three ninja suddenly tensed. Sakura continued on.

"What's with the mark on Sasuke and Ayane's necks?! You come here and challenge them to a fight in their condition?! Get lost, we don't want you here!" The ninja in the middle with the bandages around his head laughed.

"I wonder what Orochimaru is planning." Sakura looked confused and the ninja with the spiked hair smiled evilly.

"Either way, I can't just walk away after hearing you say that. I'll destroy you girl, and then come back for Sasuke and Ayane."

"Wait Zaku!"

"What is it Dosu? Why do I have to wait?"

"Isn't it obvious? Freshly turned stones, exposed soil, grass in places it would never grow, it seems girlie has been setting booby traps, and not very good ones either. Why set traps that are so obvious they warn your enemy immediately?"

"It's amateurish! So, the girl who threw the kunai was trying to stop the squirrel from springing the trap?"

"Yes, and the two girls are no use to us, so we might as well destroy them first." The three ninja suddenly jumped at us to avoid the first trap. I looked over at Sakura. _Come on Sakura, please have a plan B_. As if she heard my thoughts Sakura suddenly smirked. She put her kunai up to a small string I hadn't noticed before and tripped it. Suddenly a log fell from above us straight at them. I smiled. It was perfect. Suddenly Dosu put his hand on the log and shot sound through it. The log shattered and my face fell.

"To be honest, you're a real no-talent aren't you? Stop ignoring it and start working at it! It's an insult to be underestimated by a talent less punk like you!" I pulled my kunai put, ready to strike back when I needed to when suddenly Rock Lee appeared.

"Leaf Hurricane!" He spun around and kicked all three of the ninja.

"Look who's talking! You should try taking your own advice!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Dosu demanded.

"I'm Konoha Village's handsome devil, Rock Lee." I looked up and saw Lee had the same squirrel from before on his shoulder.

"Why did you come?" Sakura asked.

"Because, you needed me." Lee slowly put the small squirrel back on the ground and it ran off.

"Lee, I don't know how to thank you. You're a lifesaver!"

"Well, I promised when we met, that I would protect you with my life." Dosu sighed.

"I suppose it can't be helped. Zaku, you can go get little Sasuke and Ayane, I'll take care of this one." Dosu ran at Lee. Sakura quickly threw a kunai. Dosu dodged it and jumped up. Lee punched his arm into the ground. Suddenly he pulled his arm back up and lifted a gigantic root out of the ground. He blocked Dosu's attack.

"I know that you technique is some kind of illusion. I've seen it before, so don't think I'll fall for it." Lee said with a smirk. He then turned and started to undo the bandages around his arms.

"What is he going to do now?" I asked Sakura. She shrugged her shoulders. Suddenly Lee disappeared and reappeared under Dosu. He kicked Dosu under the chin. He went flying up. Lee followed and appeared behind Dosu. He wrapped his bandages around Dosu and then began to hurtle him towards the ground. Zaku tensed and put his hands on the ground.

"Hidden Lotus!" Zaku suddenly smiled.

"I think I made it." Lee landed beside us. Suddenly Dosu slowly got out of the ground.

"No way!" Lee exclaimed.

"Wow that was close. Even though I landed on this soft pillow of soil I still almost got knocked out." Dosu shook his head and stood back up. He pulled his sleeve up to reveal some kind of metal plate.

"Now, it's my turn." Dosu ran at Lee. He threw a punch and Lee dodged it. I tensed as I knew that Lee had no chance now.

"You may be fast…but our techniques are supersonic! And muscles alone won't block the wall of sound." Suddenly Lee shook and fell to the ground. He tensed and threw up, just like Kabuto. The only difference was that Lee's left ear began to bleed. I glared at Dosu. This was bad, very bad.

"It's this appliance on my arm, it keeps you from blocking my attacks."

"What did you use on him?!" Sakura demanded. Dosu began to laugh.

"It's sound! Even if you block my attack, the sound waves still reach you. Tell me, do any of you know the fundamentals of sound?"

"Isn't it vibrations?" Sakura asked.

"Exactly. Sound is just those vibrations displacing the air and making it tremble against your eardrum. The tympanic membrane, or your eardrum, ruptures at a sound level higher then 150 decibels. Moreover, if the sound is loud enough to disturb the liquid in the semi-circular canals in the inner ear, then you lose balance. Even better for me, it will be awhile before your equilibrium sets in again." Dosu explained

"So you see, simple punch-kick techniques aren't enough to beat us. You did start out very well though. It usually takes a lot before I reveal the secret of my technique to a foe, but now that I have, I'm afraid the tide has turned against you." Zaku said with a smirk. He pulled his hands out of the ground.

"I can wield sound waves and use them with enough force to crush a boulder, or make even the hardest ground the softest cushion. It is a far more elegant technique then using your barbaric brute force." Dosu turned and faced Sakura.

"And now girlie, it's your turn!" Dosu suddenly jumped at Sakura. Before anyone could react, Lee jumped at Dosu.

"Leaf Hurricane!" He kicked at Dosu again but Dosu blocked it. Lee tensed.

"Heh, I can see that the effect of my technique is taking effect. You startled me at first, but where's that super-fast attack from before?" Dosu struck at Lee and Lee blocked the attack. Suddenly sound waves burst from Dosu's arm plate.

"This arm of mine magnifies even the smallest sound to give it an even greater potential. It is an amplifier! Not only that, but with the swing of my arm I can even force my chakra's power to my chosen prey, no matter where he is!" Lee screamed out in pain and fell to the ground. Dosu laughed.

"Heh, and now for the girlies."

"I don't think so! Kitsuchi stay here and protect Ayane, Sasuke, and Naruto." I nodded in agreement. Suddenly Sakura threw three kunai at Dosu and he blocked it with his arm plate. She then suddenly pulled out three shuriken and threw them at Dosu. Suddenly Zaku appeared and repelled the attack with a wall of sound. The shuriken flew back and hit Sakura. Suddenly the girl sound ninja appeared behind Sakura and grabbed Sakura by the hair on the back of her head.

"Such lovely hair you have. It has so much more bounce and shine than mine has. What kind of technique is that? The art of deep conditioning?! You're a disgrace to all shinobi! Worrying about your looks instead of focusing on your training, it's completely pathetic. Hey Zaku, how about you take Sasuke, or one of her other fallen heart-throbs, and completely destroy them in front of this lovesick little pig! The least we can do is entertain her."

"Hah, that's a good one Kin. I suppose it would be fun to play with them for a little while." I stood my ground as Zaku walked over to me. Sakura began to shake and tears fell down her face. _Come on Sakura, get up! Get up and help me!_ Suddenly Sakura pulled out a kunai.

"Hah, your little tricks won't work on me." Sakura turned and looked up at Kin evilly.

"This isn't for you." Suddenly Sakura lifted her kunai up and pulled it through her hair, cutting it off. Kin fell backwards with a pile of Sakura's hair in her hand. I tensed. I couldn't believe that Sakura had done that. I heard her talking once, saying that Sasuke liked girls with long hair, so she grew hers out. I stared shocked as Kin let go of Sakura's hair and the clump fell to the ground. Her headband fell off and she slowly stood to her feet, a determined look plastered on her face.

"Kin, stop playing around and finish her!" Zaku demanded. Kin suddenly pulled out three senbon and ran at Sakura. Sakura made the o-hitsugi hand sign and when Kin tackled her Sakura disappeared revealing a wooden log. It was the substitution jutsu! Sakura suddenly appeared and ran at Zaku. Zaku tensed and turned towards her. She threw six kunai at Zaku and he used his sound waves to send them back at Sakura.

"You're a one-trick pony." The kunai hit Sakura and she turned into a stump again. Zaku smiled and looked up as Sakura appeared above him.

"Try it once, try it twice, try it a third time, that trick will never work on me. My smallest technique is enough to defeat you!" Sakura threw six more kunai at Zaku and he again used sound waves to repel them. He then turned and looked left and then right to find the real Sakura. Suddenly a drop of blood fell on his face and he looked up to realize that the Sakura above him was the real deal. Sakura had a kunai in her hand. She landed on Zaku and forced the kunai into his arm. She then turned and bit down on his other arm. I stared at Sakura completely shocked. I always thought she was completely useless but now it was like she was a whole other person.

"Get off of me!" Zaku demanded. He began to punch Sakura on the head, but she refused to let go. Again and again Zaku punched Sakura. Soon her head began to bleed. Finally Zaku punched Sakura so hard she flew off of him. She landed, turned, and glared at Zaku. She was panting and her face was all bloody and bruised. Her left eye was slightly swollen from getting hit. Zaku stood to his feet, anger shadowing his face.

"You little witch!" He screamed. He put his hands in front of him, ready to attack when suddenly Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru appeared in front of Sakura. Zaku suddenly stopped and lowered his hands.

"The freak parade continues to grow." He said with a smirk.

"Ino?" Sakura asked.

"Remember Sakura? I told you, that I would never let you show me up! Besides, I can't just sit idly by and watch you show off in front of Sasuke can I?" Sakura looked down and smiled. Choji and Shikamaru looked behind to see me sitting in front of Sasuke, Naruto, and Ayane. Choji's face fell.

"What happened to Ayane?" He asked. I looked back at her and sighed before turning back to Choji.

"We…we were attacked by someone disguised as a genin from the Village Hidden in the Grass. Ayane…while protecting Sasuke, Ayane got hurt, badly, and fell from the canopy of the trees." Choji looked up above him and his face filled with anger. Suddenly Shikamaru started to look around.

"Where's Sutaru?" He asked. I looked at him and shook my head.

"I have no idea." Shikamaru frowned and turned back to the three sound ninja. Dosu sighed.

"These Konoha bugs are getting on my nerves." He glared at Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Choji tensed.

"Guys we have no chance against these three! I mean look at them! They're too dangerous!"

"Look Choji I know this is a drag but since Ino showed herself we _men_ can't just run and hide. Besides, do you really wanna just leave Ayane behind?" Choji suddenly relaxed and took a deep breath.

"You're right. If I just leave her behind Ayane will hate me." Ino giggled.

"Yeah, sorry to get you guys involved but we're a three-man team so we kinda have to do everything together."

"Yeah, it's a total drag, but whatever happens, happens."

"Y-yeah, but I don't wanna die yet!" Choji complained. Shikamaru sighed.

"Come on Choji, you entered these chunin exams knowing we might die, so knock it off." Choji looked at Shikamaru and sighed. Suddenly Zaku started to laugh.

"You can run if you want, we really don't mind. It would be a waste of energy to fight you anyway, fatty." Suddenly Choji's ears perked up and his face filled with anger.

"What did that kid just say? I don't think I heard him right." Shikamaru's face filled with fear.

"I said, you can run off and go hide in a tree like a squirrel for all I care fat ass." Choji faced Zaku anger plastered on his face.

"I'm not fat! I'm big-boned!" Choji yelled. Suddenly chakra surrounded Choji and he turned to look at Ino.

"You guys know that this is a battle between sound and Konoha right?! So let's show those sound _kids_ what we can do!" Choji turned back to Zaku fire blazing in his eyes. My eye twitched, Choji was definitely scary when he was angry.

"Man, this is gonna be such a drag." Shikamaru sighed.

"Hey, that's our line kid." Zaku told him. Me and Sakura turned back to look at Sasuke, Ayane, and Naruto. I tensed as I watched a dark purple chakra floated slowly up from Ayane and Sasuke's necks.

"Sasuke…"

"Sakura?" She suddenly turned back to face Ino.

"Go back there and help Kitsuchi take care of the other three, we got these guys." Sakura stared at Ino wide-eyed. She smiled and nodded before heading back to me.

"How are they?" She asked.

"They don't look good, but they're better then they were before…I think."

"Alright, team Ino is gonna use all it has! Formation Ino!"

"Shika!"

"Cho!" We turned back to look at Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.

"Alright Choji, you're up!" Choji jumped forward at Ino's command and put his hands together in a hand sign I didn't know.

"Okay! Time to show you Konoha's version of hand-to-hand combat!" Suddenly Choji's hands, legs, and head went inside his shirt and shorts.

"Human Boulder!" He suddenly began to roll towards Zaku.

"Tch, what the hell is this? It's just some fatty doing what he does best, rolling!" Zaku pulled his hands up.

"Air Cutter!" Suddenly waves of sound shot out at Choji. Choji fought through it and continued to roll at Zaku. No matter how hard Zaku pushed he couldn't push Choji back.

"That's it!" Zaku then increased the power of his sound waves and soon began to push Choji back. Suddenly Choji jumped into the air and began to fall towards Zaku. Zaku stared up at Choji and didn't use his sound waves. I wondered why but then I realized that if Zaku even touched Choji while he was rolling like that Choji would break Zaku's arms. Suddenly Dosu ran out at Zaku.

"If Choji gets hit by that amplifier on Dosu's arm then he'll be finished!" I yelled at Ino. She smiled.

"Don't worry, Shikamaru's got it all under control." Suddenly Shikamaru jumped out.

"No way I'm letting you go anywhere. Ninja Art! Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Suddenly Shikamaru's shadow began to grow longer and soon attached itself to Dosu's. Dosu suddenly stopped running and turned to face Shikamaru. Zaku then jumped at the last second as Choji crashed into the ground he was just standing on. I looked back at Shikamaru, wondering how he stopped Dosu in his tracks. Shikamaru then put his hands on his head and made an "M" shape with his arms. Dosu did the same. I gasped. I had never seen a technique like that before. It was like Dosu had become a live version of Shikamaru's shadow. I had to give Choji and Shikamaru credit, they were both impressive shinobi.

"M-my body..."

"Dosu what are you doing?!" Kin demanded. She then looked at Shikamaru and tensed.

"Hey Ino, I'll let you take care of the girl." Ino smiled.

"Alright, just make sure to take good care of my body while I'm gone." I stared at Ino skeptically. What was she talking about? Suddenly Ino put her hands together in another hand sign I didn't know.

"Ninja Art! Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Kin's eyes grew wide and then went calm again. Ino then fell and Shikamaru caught her. Dosu doing the same as him.

"What did she do?" I asked. Sakura looked over at me.

"Ino has the ability to transfer her own mind into the mind of others. She takes complete control of their body. She controls what they say and do and can see their own thoughts and through their eyes. But an ability like that does have its catches."

"'Catches'?" I asked.

"Yes, first of all, the mind transfer is quite slow and very easy to dodge if you know it's coming. It also has a ranged area and can only reach a certain point before it stops. Secondly, if Ino misses it takes awhile before her mind finds its way back to her. In that time you could easily kill her if you wanted to. Also, if the person she possess gets hurt in anyway, that pain is transferred to her real body. A body can't live without a mind, so if she's killed in the body she's possessed, then the real Ino dies as well." I swallowed hard. To use a technique like that one in a situation like this one was risky. I looked back as I heard a grunt. Zaku was still dodging Choji and was getting very annoyed.

"I've had enough of this! Kin, a little help would be nice!" Kin stood completely still.

"Kin, what's wrong with you?!" Dosu demanded. Suddenly Kin opened her eyes, smiled, and pulled a kunai up to her neck.

"I'm afraid this little party is over." Dosu and Zaku's eyes grew wide.

"Easy now. If either of you hurts even a single hair on one of my friends heads then your sweet teammate here gets it in the neck. You don't want that to happen, now do you? So be good little boys now and drop your scroll. We'll let you off lightly this time and let you walk away unscathed and with all _three _teammates. As soon as the two of you are far enough away that I can't sense your chakras, I'll let her go." I looked from Zaku to Dosu. Something wasn't right. They were both smiling. Ino suddenly tensed.

"On no, Choji!" Kin yelled.

"What is it? What's wrong?! Sakura demanded. Suddenly Zaku raised his arm and aimed his sound waves at Kin. The waves headed straight for her and Choji managed to jump in the way in time. He immediately was ricocheted back but the force of the sound waves were so strong that Kin was also hit back. She hit a tree and a small trickle of blood fell from Ino's mouth. Sakura gasped and I glared at them. Kin slowly got back up.

"I don't get it? What kind of monster would attack they're own teammate?"

"I suppose 'monsters' like us would." Zaku replied a dark smile crossing his face.

"You see we don't like playing by your rules, they're no fun. We're not actually after the scroll and we don't care if we pass this test or not." Dosu explained. We all gasped. I tensed. I knew they wouldn't go through all this trouble for some stupid scroll.

"I-if you're not here for the scroll, then what are you after?" Kin asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Sasuke…and Ayane." Dosu replied with an evil hiss. Sakura and I tensed. Suddenly Shikamaru's shadow weakened and Dosu finally regained his ability to move. Dosu smiled.

"So, it seems your paralysis jutsu has a limited duration."

"It's a shadow possession jutsu, get your jutsus right." Shikamaru replied defensively.

"Whatever. It also seems that your little friend there can slip her soul into the bodies of others. Very clever, but also very dangerous. A body can't live without a soul, so if she were to die…"

"What are you saying? That you would kill your own teammate?!" Shikamaru demanded. Zaku aimed his hand at Kin again.

"Well if push comes to shove, then yeah." Shikamaru tensed and then sighed.

"Ugh, this is such a drag!" Choji, who had stopped spinning and had fallen over from dizziness, nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Did you really think you could win against us? Let's face it you Konoha ninjas are nothing but a bunch of _kids_. You're hardly worth the effort." Zaku said with a dark smile. He suddenly ran at Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, and me. I tensed prepared to attack. Shikamaru couldn't stop Zaku since he had to take care of Ino, and Sakura was already in no condition to fight. I pulled out my kunai and waited. Zaku pushed through Shikamaru and Ino and kicked Sakura to the side. He stood in front of me. I glared up at him.

"There's no way I'm going to let you take Ayane." Zaku smiled. I lunged at him and fought him back. Suddenly pain shot through my left shoulder. I cringed in pain and Zaku took his chance. He lifted his hand and sound waves shot out at me. I flew back and hit a tree behind everyone. I fell to the ground and coughed up blood. When I looked up Zaku already had Ayane and was reaching for Sasuke. I threw my kunai and he jumped back. He sighed.

"Well I suppose one of them is good enough for now. We can always come back for Sasuke later. Considering you were so determined to keep her…what would you call it…_protected _your effort was completely pathetic." I glared at Zaku.

"Screw you…" I replied. I tensed and tears filled my eyes. I…I was so weak. I couldn't even protect Ayane, or Sutaru. I faced the top of the trees. _Sutaru please help me!_

-Sutaru-

I shook slightly and my eyes slowly opened. I closed one as bright light filled them and blinded me. I looked around as my eyes grew used to the light. I slowly sat up and looked around. Where was I? And where were Ayane and Kitsuchi? I suddenly tensed and tears filled my eyes. I…I left them. Just when they both needed me most I left them. My hand clenched into a fist and I beat the ground.

"I just left them. I left them alone to fight off Orochimaru by themselves." Tears fell from my eyes. I had run away, again. All my life I've ran, from everything and everyone. I had run away from home, run away from my family, run away from my friends. All my life my philosophy has been that it's "easier to run", but now I wasn't so sure. When I had killed my parents, I ran and left my brothers behind without even a word, without even a good-bye. When we were followed, I convinced everyone to run. When Ayane and Kitsuchi were hurt by Orochimaru, I ran away again. I was an idiot. It was all because I was never strong enough, I never believed I was strong enough. Kitsuchi and Ayane always tried to convince me that I was, but I knew they were just being nice. Killing my parents was another way for me to run from my problems. Killing them was just an excuse to run away.

"Why am I so afraid?! Why am I always running when I should be staying to fight by Kitsuchi and Ayane's sides?! Why am I such a coward?!" I screamed. I hit the ground again with my fist. I suddenly looked up as I heard footsteps approach.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little brat from before. Tell me, where are your little friends?" Kankuro asked a smirk crossing his face.

"Get lost." I replied darkly. He stared at me.

"What was that?"

"You heard me! I'm not in the mood to put up with your crappy attitude so get lost!"

"Why you little-"

"Why, are you crying?" I looked up at Gaara.

"None of your business!" I glared at him darkly. Kankuro tensed as Gaara took a step forward.

"Heh, looks like that little brat's gonna get what she deserves." Gaara stood in front of me and lifted his hand up. Suddenly sand surrounded my body and I was lifted into the air. Kankuro smirked and I tensed as I recognized this from my visions. I relaxed and looked down at Gaara. His face was completely emotionless and he readied to kill me. I continued to stare down at him and he slowly began to close his hand. I felt the sand start to close around me. Just as he was halfway through he stopped and released the jutsu. I fell to the ground and Temari and Kankuro gasped.

"Gaara, why didn't you…?" Temari asked but trailed off.

"It's a waste of time. Kankuro, Temari, let's go." I looked up at Gaara and a dark glare crossed my face.

"Kill me! Damn it kill me! I'm right here and I know you want to, you've already tried before, so kill me!" Kankuro looked at me completely shocked.

"You _want_ to die?"

"I have no other reason to live, so yes, I do." Gaara turned to look at me.

"I'm not going to kill you because there is no point. So leave before I change my mind."

"No! Kill m-"

"Me killing you will not save you from anything so there is no point. If you are tired of being a coward, then stop using death as an excuse to give up. You make me sick when you do that. So go." I stared at Gaara completely shocked. He continued to walk away and Temari and Kankuro slowly followed. When he was gone I looked down at the ground. Gaara was right. Death was just another excuse for me to use to run away. I couldn't dot that anymore. Never again. I looked up suddenly determined. I would never run away again, especially when my friends needed me most. I slowly stood to my feet and stopped as something fell out of my carrying case. It was the scroll that I had to hold for Ayane and Kitsuchi. I closed my hand over it and smiled.

"Ayane, Kitsuchi, I will save you, and I vow to never ever run away again."

I had been running for about five minutes when I suddenly sensed a dark chakra. I looked around and found the point of its source. I quickly ran towards it and came out into a clearing. I looked around. Naruto was still unconscious on the ground. Sakura was on the ground, bruises and cuts all over her body. Shikamaru was holding Ino up and Choji was sitting beside them. The three sound ninja were standing around the clearing. I glared as I saw that Zaku had Ayane in his arms. I tensed as I saw that the dark chakra I felt was emanating from both Ayane and Sasuke. Kitsuchi was lying behind Naruto and Sasuke. I quickly jumped down to her.

"Sutaru! You're ok!"

"Yeah I'm fine, what about you?"

"I'm ok, just a scratch."

"What's wrong with Ayane and Sasuke. Their dark chakra is overpowering."

"That monster Orochimaru bit them and gave them a curse mark. It's emitting that dark chakra." I looked at Zaku and glared.

"What're they doing here?"

"They're Orochimaru's little minions. They're here to take Ayane and Sasuke. Unfortunately I couldn't protect Ayane." I sighed. If only I had been there Kitsuchi wouldn't have to fight alone. I was such an idiot for running, but never again.

-Kitsuchi-

Dosu looked around and sighed.

"Tch, what a second rate village."

"Heh, that's pretty tough talk. What does that make your village? Third-rate perhaps? I wonder if any of you are ready to take on the real thing." I slowly got back up and looked up to see the boy with the silver eyes, Neji, and the girl in the pink top, Tenten, sitting on a branch above us. Dosu glared at him.

"What was that?" Zaku turned and glared at Neji as well. Tenten looked down at Lee's body.

"Aww, Lee."

"He completely blew it, again." I glared at Neji. His teammate was seriously hurt and he was angry that he didn't win?!

"Tch, you Konoha genin keep popping out of nowhere like cockroaches." Dosu complained.

"It seems you used our teammate as nothing but a punching bag. I'm afraid I have to tell you…no one does that and gets away with it!" Suddenly the veins around Neji's eyes began to stick out. It was some kind of technique I had never seen before. Everyone tensed. Neji looked from Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, and Kin to Dosu and Zaku.

"No more playing around Tenten, prepare to use full power." Tenten reached for her carrying case. She suddenly stopped and looked at Neji.

"Neji, what's wrong?" Tenten asked.

"Well are you just going to stay up there all day, or are you actually going to come down here and do something about it?" Dosu asked.

"Actually, it looks like it's suddenly out of my hands." I looked at Neji confused and then tensed. The dark purple chakra emitting from Sasuke's neck became stronger and it soon engulfed his whole body. He slowly stood back up. He hunched over and purple chakra circled his body. I tensed as I saw that his Sharingan was activated. Sakura suddenly turned a bright smile on her face.

"Sasuke, you're finally awake!" Suddenly her face fell as she saw what Sasuke had become. Everyone turned to face Sasuke and their eyes grew wide.

"Sasuke? That's Sasuke?" Kin asked, Ino still inside her. Suddenly bright orange marks appeared on Sasuke's left arm and on the left side of his face. The orange marks slowly disappeared and left black marks on the left side of his body.

"Sakura…who did this to you? And where…where is Ayane?"

"S-Sasuke…your body…" Sasuke lifted his left hand and observed the marks on his hand.

"Don't worry about it. All that matters is the fact that power is now surging through my body. I have to admit, I feel really good right now. It's hard to believe that _he_ gave it to me, this power. Everything is finally falling into place. I've finally realized that I am an avenger. I must gain more power, even if it means I must let this take over my body." Zaku slowly stood behind Dosu so that he was out of Sasuke's sight.

"Sakura, who hurt you and where is Ayane?"

"Sasuke I…"

"Sakura, who hurt you and where the hell is Ayane?!" Sakura tensed and her eyes grew wide. I don't think I had ever heard Sasuke talk to her like that. What was wrong with him? Zaku suddenly stepped out and smiled.

"I did, and your little sweetheart is right here." Zaku held Ayane up.

"Ino hurry up and return to your body, and Choji get over here. We gotta get out of here before Sasuke gets confused as to who his enemy is!" I looked over as Shikamaru yelled out. He glanced over at Sutaru and saluted. She nodded in his direction. Kin nodded and Choji ran over.

"Damn it!" She quickly put her hands together. Her fingers were straight and entwined with each other.

"Release!" Suddenly Kin fell and Ino went back to her own body. Shikamaru, Ino and Choji ran and his in some bushes close by. I looked back as the dark chakra became stronger. Suddenly the marks on Sasuke began to glow and covered the rest of his body. He was glaring darkly at Zaku. The marks soon turned back to black.

"This…this is too much for us…his chakra…is too strong…!"

"Dosu, don't be afraid of a kid like that." Zaku suddenly moved Ayane's face close to his.

"I like this one. She's very cute isn't she? I think we make the perfect couple, don't you? Maybe when Orochimaru's done with her I'll take her for myself."

"You bastard." I whispered under my breath.

"No Zaku, are you insane?! You don't know what you're doing!" Suddenly Zaku threw Ayane to the side. I cringed as I heard her body make contact with a tree. Zaku put his hands up.

"Calm down Dosu. I'll kill them all with this and then take the girl back to Orochimaru and claim her as my prize." Zaku smiled darkly.

"Maximum Air Cutter!" I tensed as a giant stream of sound waves flew at us. I grabbed what I could as the waves flew at us. It affected everyone around us and we had to hang on to each other to keep from being blown away. Suddenly I felt someone grab me and we were moved behind Zaku. My eyes grew wide and I found that Sasuke had moved not only me but Sutaru, Naruto, and Sakura.

"Heh, I blew them all up into little pieces."

"Who did you blow up into little pieces?" Zaku tensed and Sasuke suddenly chopped him in the neck with the side of his hand. Zaku went flying to the side. I couldn't believe the power Sasuke now had.

"Zaku!" Dosu yelled. Zaku flew and landed in front of Dosu.

"He's fast, on top of that he also moved while holding four other people!" Zaku exclaimed. Sasuke then turned and glared at Dosu and Zaku. They both tensed. Sasuke made the hand signs for Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Hebi, o-hitsugi, saru, osu-buta, uma, and tora.

"Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

"Don't get so cocky! I'll take care of those easily!" Zaku used his sound waves and they quickly got rid of the fire, but tensed as he realized that inside the fire were shuriken. They flew at Zaku. He put his hands up to protect his face.

"Zaku, below you!" Zaku looked down as Sasuke suddenly appeared. He pushed Zaku to his knees, then Sasuke placed his foot in the center of Zaku's back, and held back Zaku's arms behind him. Sasuke smiled darkly. Zaku tensed and his eyes grew wide. I looked over as I heard a small sound. My eyes grew wide as Ayane slowly opened her eyes. Tears filled my eyes and fell down my face. I looked at Sutaru and she was crying as well. Would she be the same as Sasuke? If this is the way that weird curse mark would make her act, it would be as if she was in seclusion all the time, and if she was like that, would we ever be able to look at her the same way again?

-Ayane-

My eyes slowly opened. I looked forward. Sutaru and Kitsuchi were crying, Sakura was covered in bruises and cuts, Naruto was unconscious, the sound ninja Dosu was staring wide-eyed, Kin was unconscious, and Sasuke was holding back Zaku's arms. I slowly sat up but stopped as pain sot through my body. I looked up and my eyes grew wide. Sasuke, what was he doing to Zaku? I tensed as I recognized the black marks and purple chakra surrounding him. No, I never wanted this to happen, not to Sasuke.

"You're pretty proud of these arms aren't you?" Sasuke continued to pull Zaku's arms back. It was like he was a completely different person. He was more like…Orochimaru. I continued to stare at him wide-eyed.

"No, stop it…" Zaku pleaded. Farther and farther Sasuke pulled Zaku's arms back, a sick smile across his face the entire time. Everyone gasped and I cringed as a sickening crack filled the clearing. Zaku screamed out in pain and fell forward as Sasuke let go of him. Sasuke turned and faced Dosu.

"Now that leaves just you." Dosu began to shake and Sasuke smiled.

"You better entertain me better than he did." Sasuke slowly began to walk towards Dosu. I looked over at Sakura. Tears filled her eyes.

"No…stop!" She screamed. Sakura suddenly got up and ran at Sasuke. She grabbed him from behind and pulled him into a hug.

"Please…stop." Sasuke turned and stared at her evilly. I knew that he would kill her if he didn't stop.

"Sasuke!" I yelled. Everyone suddenly turned and looked at me. I looked at him with pleading eyes. I couldn't move. My body was too badly injured.

"Please Sasuke…stop." Tears fell down my face and suddenly Sasuke's face softened.

"But…" I shook my head. He wanted to protect me, gain revenge for what they had done to me, but this was not how I wanted things to be.

"Stop…please." Suddenly the marks on Sasuke's body began to glow and they slowly began to disappear. He suddenly fell back and began to pant heavily. I smiled weakly. It was finally over.

"You're pretty strong. Sasuke, we cannot defeat you." Dosu suddenly held out his chi scroll.

"Let's make a deal, let us leave now in peace." He kicked the scroll towards Sasuke and Sakura.

"We might be asking too much, but this was something we needed to confirm. Just promise me this, if we fight each other again in this exam, we will not run or hide." Dosu picked Zaku up and then Kin. He turned to leave. Sakura glanced at Sasuke and then turned back to Dosu.

"Wait! Who is Orochimaru? And what has he done to Sasuke and Ayane?! Why Sasuke and Ayane?!" She demanded.

"I don't know. We were just ordered to kill Sasuke and bring Ayane back to him." I tensed as I heard my name. He wanted me back, I had known that for as long as I could remember, but I was never going to go without a fight. Dosu continued to walk away. Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino suddenly came out from the bushes.

"I know this is a drag but Ino, check on that Lee guy, I'll go check on Naruto, Kitsuchi, and Sutaru. Choji you check on Ayane."

"Okay." Choji and Ino agreed at the same time. I watched as Choji ran over to me.

"Ayane? Ayane are you ok? You're shaking all over" I smiled up at him.

"Yeah I'm fine, but I don't think I can move." I tried but my body refused to listen. I cringed in pain and my neck began to throb. I yelled out as a sudden jolt of pain shot from my neck. The power inside of it was trying to get out, but I fought it back.

"Ayane, are you sure you're ok?" I cringed and shook until the pain subsided before turning back and smiling.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Choji smiled. I looked forward. Sasuke was staring at me and I turned away.

"Sasuke wait, you're too weak…" I looked up as Sasuke was suddenly standing above me. I quickly looked away.

"Choji, go check on Sakura, I need to talk to Ayane."

"But I-"

"Choji." Sasuke looked at Choji. Choji glared at Sasuke but went over to check on Sakura. Sasuke sat down beside me. I refused to look up at him.

"How badly are you injured?" He asked.

"Sasuke I already told Choji I'm-"

"How badly are you injured?" He asked again with more force. I sighed.

"I can't move, and every part of my body is throbbing. Nothing hurts more than my neck though." Then as if on queue my neck began to sting. I grabbed it and cringed in pain as it got worse and worse. I felt Sasuke put his hand on my shoulder. I tensed at how cold his skin was.

"Ayane, it's hurting you isn't it?" I nodded and yelled out in pain. I felt the small marks begin to cover my body. I opened my eyes and tried my hardest to fight it back.

"No way…am I letting…this take me…over." I breathed through clenched teeth. I continued to gasp and yell until slowly the throbbing became softer and the small marks disappeared. I panted heavily. I was leaning forward and Sasuke brought me back up. Concern was all over his face.

"That bruise is hurting you more than it is me."

"It's because…I haven't…let the power out…yet. It's basically…trying to claw…its way…out." I breathed. The pain was suddenly gone. I then realized that Sasuke was shaking and kept glancing down at his hands.

"Sasuke…are you ok?"

"Ayane…what…what was I?" He asked. My face fell.

"What do you mean?"

"Just now…what I did…was that really who I am?" Without looking at Sasuke I put my hand on his and he looked up at me.

"Sasuke…what just happened now…wasn't you. It was Orochimaru using his poisons against you."

"And how do you know that's not the real me?" He demanded. I sighed.

"Because the Sasuke I know would never uncontrollably hurt some one like that."

"If you mean that then look at me when you say it." He suddenly demanded. I tired to turn my head but couldn't.

"Sasuke I can't."

"Why? Are you that afraid of me?"

"Sasuke I'm not afraid of you."

"Then why won't you look at me?!"

"Because I can't look at the person that I hurt the most!" Sasuke stared at me his eyes wide. Tears fell from my eyes.

"Ayane…"

"It's my fault that you're hurt. It's my fault that you became what you did. If I had just stayed away from this village, none of this would have ever happened. Orochimaru would have continued to follow me and left this whole village alone." Sasuke stared at me. He put his hand on the mark on his neck.

"This bruise, what has it done to us?"

"It's not a bruise. It is a curse mark, one of Orochimaru's own design. It amplifies one's chakra and makes them even more powerful than they already were. Those who don't know how to control it, however, get consumed by the power and lose control of their mind and body, and eventually they lose their own soul. The mark, however, has more then one stage. Right now we both have a stage 1 mark. If Orochimaru gets his hands on us he could increase the stage, which could also mean that if we can't control it, then we'll lose ourselves to the power." Sasuke stared at me completely shocked.

"How do you know all this?"

"Because Orochimaru taught me almost everything he knows. If I chose to, I could use the same technique he did and put my own curse mark on someone." I lifted my hand up and forced chakra into it. Soon each finger was covered with purple chakra. Sasuke's eyes grew wide.

"So you really are his daughter aren't you?" I slowly nodded my head and released the chakra.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry. I should have never let this happen."

"It's not your fault. A child doesn't choose its father." I smiled weakly.

"Thank you Sasuke, you're one of the first people that I've ever met who actually understands." Sasuke stared at me. He slowly stood back up.

"Get better soon." I watched him as he slowly walked off. He took a seat back beside Sakura. I sighed. His tone wasn't very reassuring. Did I say something wrong? I sighed again. Sasuke was such a hard person to read. I quickly wiped away a few remaining tears, surprised that I had actually cried in front of Sasuke again. I turned as my attention was drawn by some mumbling.

"Don't worry Sakura, I'll protect you."

"So what do you think we should do with him? Maybe we should kick him awake." Shikamaru suggested as Choji and him stood above Naruto's sleeping body.

"Can I do it?" Choji asked. Suddenly Choji walked over and picked up a thick stick. He went back over to Naruto and whacked him over the head with it. Naruto jolted upright and yelled out. Naruto looked around and suddenly tensed.

"Everyone quickly get down!" He suddenly went to the ground and started to crawl.

"Damn it, where is he."

"Naruto?" Sakura asked seeing that he was awake. Ino sighed. Suddenly Choji hit Naruto in the head again.

"You're pretty dumb you know that? Just watching you makes me mad." Shikamaru stated. Choji nodded in agreement. Naruto looked around again and then tensed.

"Sakura!" He ran over to her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Sakura, what happened to your hair?" He asked.

"Oh you mean this?" Sakura asked running her fingers through her now short hair.

"I just thought I'd change my image. I like long hair, but it gets in the way too much when I'm running through a forest like this." Naruto nodded. Shikamaru and Choji walked over to them. Kitsuchi and Sutaru were suddenly by my side. They slowly picked me up and walked me over to everyone else. Ino soon joined us with Lee's arm around her shoulder.

"That reminds me, why are you guys here?" Naruto asked looking from Shikamaru, Choji and Ino to me, Kitsuchi and Sutaru. Shikamaru sighed.

"Explaining it is such a drag so forget it."

"They all helped us Naruto." Sakura said.

"What? Really?" Suddenly Tenten jumped down in front of Ino.

"I'll take Lee now."

"Oh, ok." Ino handed Lee to Tenten but then Tenten suddenly started shaking him.

"Come on Lee wake up!" Suddenly Lee's eyes burst open.

"Huh, Tenten, why are you here?"

"We came to help you."

"Where are the sound ninja?"

"That Sasuke kid drove them away." Tenten explained.

"I see…"

"Why did you take action on your own? You also got badly injured because of it!"

"But…Sakura was in danger, so I had to come help her…"

"You really are an idiot sometimes."

"I guess I can't argue with that." Suddenly Naruto sprang up and ran over to Lee.

"Hey, if it isn't that bushy brows guy!" Suddenly Sakura glared at Naruto.

"Naruto don't talk to Lee like that!" Sakura punched Naruto. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He had been asleep the whole time and had no idea what was going on. Of course, so was I, but the main idea was in my head. Sakura turned back to Lee.

"Lee, thank you. Since you helped me my eyes are now wide open. I think I've even become a little stronger." Lee smiled.

"Sakura…I…I think I need a little more training. Sasuke, you live up to the reputation of the Uchiha clan. You drove the sound ninja away and truly possess a great power, while I lost horribly." My face fell for Lee. Sasuke tensed. I guessed he never realized just how strong the three sound ninja were.

"Sakura, the lotus in Konoha blooms twice."

"What?"

"The next time we meet, I promise I will be stronger." Sakura smiled.

"Hey Sakura!" Ino called. Sakura looked over.

"Yes?"

"Come over here and I'll fix your hair for you."

"Thanks Ino." Sakura walked over and Ino pulled out a kunai. I smiled as it reminded me of the night of the Konoha festival when I had to redo Kitsuchi's hair. I smiled but it faded when I noticed Sasuke throwing me a dirty look. Kitsuchi and Sutaru noticed it too and glared at him.

"Well we better get going. We already have our two scrolls so we can start to head to the tower now." Kitsuchi stated. Everyone stared at us.

"Already?! It's only been a day!" Naruto exclaimed. Sutaru shrugged her shoulders.

"What can we say, we're very impatient girls. Anyway, with Ayane in the condition she's in right now the sooner we get her to the tower the better." Everyone nodded as they looked at me.

"I guess we'll see you soon, if you can make it to the tower in time." Kitsuchi added with a smirk.

"Oh, we'll be there, you can count on that, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed. I laughed.

"Bye everyone, see you later! Good luck!" I yelled as Kitsuchi and Sutaru pulled me away from the group. Kitsuchi and Sutaru started jumping from branch to branch.

"Do you think we'll see Orochimaru again?" Sutaru suddenly asked when we were farther ahead of the group. I tensed and my face grew hard.

"It's the last we'll see of him in the forest, but he's planning something. Why else would he have those three sound ninja try to kill Sasuke if he himself already fought him and only gave Sasuke the curse mark instead of killing him? No, it's not the last we'll see of him. Orochimaru has started something, and I'm afraid that this is only the beginning."


	12. Chapter 11: The Second Exam Ends!

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Second Exam Ends and Preliminaries begin!**

**Ayane of Konohagakure vs. Kaiiri of Kirigakure! **

I slowly opened my eyes as I heard some shouting from around the corner. I slowly stood and grabbed the crutches that Kitsuchi and Sutaru made for me. I slowly hobbled over to see Sutaru standing near the river's edge.

"Come on Kitsuchi! Hurry up with those fish! Ayane's going to be up soon and I'm starving!" Suddenly Kitsuchi burst out of the water. She had a spear on her hand and a frustrated expression on her face.

"If you think this looks so damn easy then why don't you come and try it?!" She yelled back. I hobbled over and smiled.

"I thought kittens didn't like the water?" I asked with a smirk. Kitsuchi glared at me. I smiled brightly. She sighed and dove back into the water. My face fell.

"What's wrong Ayane?' Sutaru asked.

"It's Kitsuchi, both of you actually, all because I was a little hurt you've completely changed. Kitsuchi doesn't fight me anymore and you don't have arguments with me either." Sutaru sighed.

"Sorry Ayane, but trust me as soon as we get out of this forest everything will be back to normal. Now I'll help you get to a nice spot under a tree and you can rest." Sutaru walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. I quickly shrugged her off and glared at her.

"I don't need help. I can still walk, I'm not completely useless."

"Ayane…"

"Forget it Sutaru. I'll go and make a fire or something." Sutaru's face fell and I knew my words had cut through her like knives. She was only trying to help and I was treating her like crap. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to apologize and just walked over to a small patch of sand. I went and gathered some tree branches and started a small fire for the fish. As soon as the fire started to go I heard Kitsuchi take in a deep breath.

"There Sutaru, there are your stupid fish!" Kitsuchi yelled throwing three fish onto the shore. Sutaru smiled.

"Thanks Kitsuchi!" She left Kitsuchi to get dried off and found three sticks to use as skewers. She poked the sticks through the fish and placed them over the fire to cook.

It was only the third day of the exam. We had spent the first day retrieving the earth scroll we needed and had used the second day fighting against Orochimaru and his little sound minions. After the fight we had jumped off and stopped to get some rest and heal our injuries. Mine were far worse than Sutaru and Kitsuchi's but they were healing rather quickly. After this meal we were going to continue heading towards the tower. It was only the third day and we had lots of time left, but Sutaru and Kitsuchi were persistent we get there as soon as we could so they could get some proper doctor's to heal my wounds.

I smelled the air but the smell of fish quickly made me plug my nose. I hated fish, but seen as we were in a desolate forest and there wasn't any better food around I had to cope with it.

"Fish are done!" Kitsuchi exclaimed happily. I smiled and reached for one. The taste was bitter and I almost spat it back out, but it was the only food I would be getting for awhile so I plugged my nose and ate the fish as fast as I could. Kitsuchi and Sutaru smiled.

"Aww, poor Ayane has to eat fish." Kitsuchi teased.

"It's not my fault it's the only food we have. If we had just kept going we would have been at the tower by now and I could have had some good food." I sighed wishing I could take back what I had said. I was in such a foul mood that even talking to my closest friends was harder then it seemed.

"Ayane are you ok?" Sutaru asked. I bit my tongue to keep me from snapping back. I took a deep breath and answered as sweetly as I could manage.

"I'm just in a really bad mood right now. I think the curse mark," I lifted my hand to my neck, "is affecting me more than normal. It's making me…angrier."

"Why angrier?" Kitsuchi asked as she finished the last piece of her fish.

"I think it might be because I haven't released the power of it yet. It needs to be released or sealed or it causes some side effects like the unbearable pain and in my case anger issues." I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chest. Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at my sympathetically.

"And I guess our treating you like a baby isn't helping?" Sutaru asked. I shook my head.

"Sorry." They both apologized.

"No, don't be, you're just worried about me. I'm sorry for snapping at you like that." They smiled at me.

"It's ok." Sutaru patted me on the shoulder.

"Yeah, now let's get to that stupid tower already!" Kitsuchi jumped up. I slowly stood ready to go.

"Ok, and I don't think I need any help this time." I threw the crutches to the ground. Sutaru made a disapproving face.

"Do you think you're ready?" She asked. I smiled.

"I think so. Now let's leave before the smell of that fish draws enemies closer to us." Kitsuchi and Sutaru nodded and we jumped into the trees and headed back on the path towards the tower.

Jumping from tree branch to tree branch was a little shaky at first, but as we drove on it became easier to manage. We were going slower than usual, thanks to my new found clumsiness, but we were making good time. By mid afternoon we were more than three-quarters of the way there. We stopped to grab a bite to eat and then quickly headed out again. It was still daylight, so we doubted we would find any enemies now, especially so close to the tower and it only being the third day.

We smiled brightly as we could finally see the tower over the next hill. Within the next ten minutes we were at the tower. We walked around it until we came to the door marked "Gate 13". We opened the door and slowly walked in. On the wall was a giant sign. I took a step forward and read the message out loud.

"'_If qualities of heaven are what you desire, acquire your wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, then train your body in the fields and prepare to attack. When both heaven and earth are opened together, the path of peril will revert to the righteous forever. This blank is the secret way…that guides us on from this place today._

_The Third Hokage_'."

I took a step back.

"So what do you think it means?" Kitsuchi asked crossing her arms.

"What's with the blank space?" Sutaru asked walking closer to examine the message.

"Hmm, I wonder if it means they want us to open the scrolls now." Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at me.

"Maybe, I mean they did say to wait until we got to the tower to open them, and here we are." Sutaru replied.

"Alright I guess it's our only option." Kitsuchi pulled out her heaven scroll and Sutaru pulled out her earth scroll. I stepped between them. We looked at each other, took a deep breath, and Kitsuchi and Sutaru quickly ripped open the scrolls. I looked down at them shocked. Nothing happened. I suppose that was good but I was expecting _something_ to happen with more of a boom. We examined the scrolls. Inside was the kanji for humanity.

"What's this supposed to be?" Kitsuchi asked unimpressed.

"Maybe it's supposed to fill the blank?" Sutaru offered. I tensed as the scrolls started to sizzle. I grabbed the scrolls out of their hands and threw them forward.

"Ayane what-" Sutaru was cut off when a puff of smoke suddenly surrounded the scrolls. We tensed and prepared to attack. When the smoke cleared we were surprised to find non other than Ryuunosuke-sensei smiling at us.

"Yo, happy you girls actually made it. Though I have to admit, I'm a little surprised." We smiled brightly at him, completely ignoring his comment. Before he could stop them Sutaru and Kitsuchi lunged at Ryuunosuke-sensei and embraced him in a warm hug. I slowly walked over, a small smile on my face. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked down at me surprised that I wasn't quite as excited to see him as the others were. They quickly let go of him and took a step back so they stood beside me.

"So Ryuunosuke-sensei, why are you here?" Kitsuchi asked a huge smile still on her face.

"Well, I'm your official messenger."

"'Messenger'?" Sutaru asked.

"Yeah, I'm here to congratulate you. So, Congratulations, you three pass the second exam." We smiled brightly. A thought suddenly occurred to me and a sly smile crossed my face.

"So tell me Ryuunosuke-sensei, were you part of that summoning scroll the entire time?" Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled.

"Well, looks like I've been caught." Sutaru and Kitsuchi stared at him blankly.

"What do you mean?" They asked in unison.

"Well, the way this exam worked was if any of you had opened the scroll before reaching the tower, I was to come out and basically knock you unconcious until the end of the exam, meaning that you would get an automatic fail. The point of this exam was to test your ability to stay within the parameters of the test itself. It was kind of a way to test whether you are truly trustworthy with important documents."

"Oh, well if that's all I suppose you can go now." Kitsuchi said shooing Ryuunosuke-sensei with her hand. Ryuunosuke-sensei glared at her.

"Explaining all that was not the only reason I'm here. I'm also here to explain the message on the wall."

"Really?" We asked in unison. Ryuunosuke-sensei's eye brow twitched. He ignored our surprised reply and continued to explain the message.

"This message here is a directive set down by the Third Hokage for all chunin to follow. In this text, the word 'heaven' refers to the mind, while 'earth' refers to the body. 'If qualities of heaven are what you desire, acquire your wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher'. In other words, if you're like Dark Kitty, and you lack the general knowledge needed to be a chunin, you'll have to study harder and learn the basic principals needed for her missions."

"What do you mean 'lack of general knowledge'?" Kitsuchi asked with a dark glare on her face. Ryuunosuke-sensei ignored her and continued on.

"'If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body in fields and prepare to attack'. Now in this case if you're like Bright-eyes and your weakest skills lie in strength and power, then you'll have to train harder to acquire the stamina and skill needed to properly defend yourself."

"I'll show you weak skills." Sutaru whispered under her breath. I smiled.

"And then if you are like Kichiku and already have both qualities of heaven and earth, then no mission will take you down the wrong path. You'll walk a safe path, no matter how perilous a mission gets you will be able to pull through."

"Yeah that's great and all, but what's with the blank space?" Kitsuchi asked annoyed.

"Well the word that goes there was the kanji that you three saw inside your scrolls. The kanji was for the word 'jin' meaning 'one person' or 'all people'. The main designof this exam was to test your ability to apply the chunin qualities over a five day time period. I have to admit, though I had my doubts, you all did an amazing job and made it here with two days left to spare. Good job, but don't get your hopes up yet. The chunin is a commanding rank, responsible for leading their teams. They can only do so by incorporating intelligence as well as strength into what they do to accomplish their goals. I can't emphasize this enough. The chunin directive…learn it, live it, believe it, from the very bottom of your hearts. Keep the directive at the forefront of your minds as you move on to the third part of the exams. And that's it, messaged delivered!"

"Finally, I thought you'd never shut up. Can we go through now?" Kitsuchi asked her arms crossed. Ryunnosuke-sensei sighed.

"Yes, yes Dark Kitty you can go through now." Kitsuchi smiled gleefully.

"Finally!" She grabbed Sutaru and dragged her towards the door. I smiled weakly and walked forward. Ryunnosuke-sensei suddenly put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

"Kichiku, you all need to be careful during the next part of the exam, it can get pretty rough out there."

"Why are you telling only me this?" I asked confused.

"Because of all three of you, you are the one that needs to be especially careful." I tensed.

"What're you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. All the jounin team leaders have been warned about both you and Sasuke. If either of you loses control you will be forced to forfeit your matches." I stared up at Ryuunosuke-sensei my eyes wide.

"What?"

"If you allow the power of that curse mark on your neck to take you over you will be forced to forfeit the match as well as your chances to become a chunin. Don't let it control you. I don't want to be the one to have to stop you from doing something you'll regret." I lowered my eyes.

"Fine but Ryuunosuke-sensei please promise me one thing."

"What?"

"If the curse mark does take me over, I suggest you stop me before it covers my entire body."

"Yes, but why before it covers your entire body?"

"Because if you wait, falter, or even hesitate to stop me because of some strange feeling of guilt and the curse mark covers my entire body, no one, not even you, will be able to stop me." Ryuunosuke-sensei stared down at me completely shocked. I shrugged off his hand and continued to walk forward. A sudden darkness began to crawl over me. If even Ryuunosuke-sensei couldn't stop me, no one ever could.

I smiled along with Kitsuchi and Sutaru as we made our way through the door and into the main lobby of the tower. We looked around. Not many teams had passed the test yet.

"So what did Ryuunosuke-sensei want?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Oh, uh, he just wanted to warn us to be careful during the next part of the exam. Apparently it can get really dangerous."

"Pfft, yeah…for the other teams."

"Well, well ,well, look who thinks she's all high and mighty just because she passed the second part of the exam." We turned to see Kiba, Hinata, and Shino walk over to us.

"Oh hey you guys. How long have you been here for?" I asked.

"We passed this stupid exam on the first day. We didn't get here though until after those creepy sand village shinobi." At the mention of sand village shinobi Sutaru perked right up.

"Which creepy sand village shinobi?" Kitsuchi asked. I couldn't help but notice her sudden interest in what Kiba was saying and I smiled. Suddenly Kiba stared behind me. I turned around to see the three Sunagakure ninja, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro walking past us.

"Those three, the one with the red hair especially." Kiba whispered to us. I watched as they passed by. The three of them turned to face us. They glared at me, Sutaru, and Kitsuchi and we glared back. I looked at Sutaru. She was shaking slightly and her eyes were fixed on Gaara. Gaara suddenly turned and stared right back at her. They were both fixed in a trance that was making me slightly nervous.

"Hey Gaara what's wrong?" Temari suddenly asked.

"That girl, I don't like the way she stares at me."

"And I don't like the way you stare back at me." Sutaru suddenly blurted out. Gaara's expression didn't change.

"Hey watch it shorty!" Kankuro called. Sutaru glared at him as darkly as she could manage and he slowly took a step back. Gaara sighed.

"Enough of this, Kankuro, Temari, let's go." They all turned to leave. As they slowly walked away Gaara turned to look at Sutaru one last time. She suddenly smiled and nodded at him thankfully. He suddenly stopped walking. He stared at her for awhile longer, not sure what to do, before turning back and hurrying after his older brother and sister.

"What was that all about?" I asked Sutaru. She blushed slightly.

"Nothing." I smiled and knew right away something was up with her.

"Man that kid really creeps me out." Kiba suddenly said averting our attention back to him.

"Pfft, he doesn't look so tough." Kitsuchi said flipping her bangs off her face. Kiba smiled. He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair. It stuck out at awkward angles. Kitsuchi glared at Kiba while trying to flatten out her hair, it unfortunately only made it worse. Kiba laughed.

"There, now all you need to do is keep your hair like that and you can scare Gaara away! He has no chance!"

"Kiba!" She screamed. Kiba continued to smile and turned to run away as Kitsuchi chased after him. I laughed and began to look around. My face fell.

"What's wrong Ayane?" Sutaru asked. I suddenly looked straight at her.

"Oh, uh, nothing." I said trying to smile. I knew she had seen right through me and I sighed.

"Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura aren't here yet." Sutaru stared at me and smiled.

"Don't worry, they'll get here soon." I smiled grateful that she hadn't started to make fun of me like Kitsuchi no doubt would have. I suddenly tensed as pain shot through my neck. My legs gave out beneath me and I fell to the ground. My hands quickly reached for my neck. I started to shake and sweat started to form on my forehead.

"Ayane!" Kitsuchi and Kiba looked up from their little wrestling match and ran over to me.

"I'm…fine…my legs just…gave out beneath me." I breathed. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino looked down at me and I knew that they had seen the curse mark. I ignored them and looked up at Kitsuchi and Sutaru with pleading eyes. I hoped that Kitsuchi and Sutaru knew that it was more then just my legs that were bothering me. They quickly picked me up and brought me over to a couch in the lobby. I was panting even though I hadn't done anything.

"Sutaru you stay here, I'll go find a medic ninja." Kitsuchi quickly ran off. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata looked at me not sure what to do.

"Uh…we'll go get you some water and some ice for that weird bruise on your neck." They quickly ran off and I sighed.

"Well…at least they…only think it's…a bruise." I said through gasps of pain. Sutaru sat beside me. She forced my head onto her shoulder. She stroked my hair. I took deep breaths and soon the pain began to wear off. Kitsuichi suddenly arrived with a medic ninja who quickly ran over to me. He gave me a quick check. He rubbed a special ointment on the parts of my body that hurt the most and used his healing ninjutsu to fix small cuts and bruises. He stood and smiled.

"There, I think that'll keep you on your feet." I smiled.

"Thank you." He turned and left just as Kiba, Hinata, and Shino returned with a bottle of water and an ice-pack. I smiled and drank the water while Sutaru delicately placed the ice-pack on the "bruise". The cold sent shivers down my spine but it was very soothing. We stood in complete silence no one wanting to be the one to have to ask the awkward question. Suddenly Kiba yawned and stretched.

"Well…I think we should go find somewhere to sleep before the new teams steal them all. Get better soon Ayane." I smiled. I had to give him credit, that was a smooth getaway plan.

"Thanks Kiba." Kiba smiled back and headed towards the doorway that led into a long hallway. Hinata bowed.

"Uh…congratulations and uh…get better soon." We smiled at her and she blushed before running after Kiba. Shino nodded his head and then went after his other teammates. As soon as they had turned the corner Kitsuchi fell on the couch on the other side of me.

"Man that was too close."

"Well, they only thought it was a bruise so I suppose that's a good thing." I said trying to smile.

"Yeah that's true. How does it feel?" Sutaru asked.

"Better. The pain's subsided and I'm sure I'll be fine for now." Kitsuchi and Sutaru both sighed. They suddenly put their heads on either side of my shoulders.

"I can't believe we made it." Sutaru whispered.

"I can." Kitsuchi replied. I smiled. Before any of us had time to react we all fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up the next morning the sun was slightly shining through the windows in the lobby. I slowly sat up. Somewhere through the night we had all shifted in our sleep. I had fallen over and onto Sutaru's lap, Sutaru's head was rested against the couch, and Kitsuchi had fallen the other way and was curled up into a little ball beside me. I smiled and slowly got off the couch. I crept towards the doorway that led to that long hallway. I knew that if I made any sudden sounds Sutaru would jolt upright totally awake and I knew she needed her sleep. I finally made it to the doorway and walked through it. As soon as I entered the hallway my stomach began to growl and I realized that I was starving. I made my way through the hallway trying to see if I could find some food. I looked around to see all of the other teams that had passed sometime in the night while we were asleep. As I walked down the hall I thought, or rather hoped, that the next corner that I turned would have me come face to face with a certain boy with raven black hair, a blue t-shirt, and white shorts but no matter where I went I couldn't find him. I shook my head suddenly realizing that this hope was completely idiotic and continued on.

I finally turned the last corner of the hall and came into a small room. Kiba, Hinata and Shino were already here and behind them was a buffet table. I quickly walked over to the table and grabbed a few small pancakes and some berries for breakfast.

"Morning Ayane." I turned and faced Kiba

"Morning Kiba, Hinata, Shino, how did u all sleep?"

"Good." Kiba answered for all three of them. He started to look around and I knew exactly who he was looking for.

"So…uh…where's Kitsuchi…and Sutaru?" I smiled to myself knowing he would ask that question.

"She's…I mean _they're_ both still asleep." Kiba glared at me but I just smiled.

"Choji slow down! We're tired and want to go to sleep!" Suddenly Choji came stampeding through the doorway into the small room. Shikamaru and Ino were close behind him. Without even noticing me, Kiba, Shino, or Hinata Choji ran straight for the buffet table. He grabbed at least five pancakes and stuffed them in his mouth.

"Finally food!" I finished my pancake and started to laugh. Choji turned and looked at me like he had seen me for the first time.

"Ayane! When did you get here?!"

"I've been here since yesterday." His eyes grew wide.

"Really?!" I nodded. Shikamaru and Ino walked over.

"Hey Ayane, where are Sutaru and Kitsuchi?" Ino asked looking around.

"Oh, they're still asleep." Suddenly Kitsuchi and Sutaru came through the doorway. They walked over.

"Oh, hey Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, did you guys just get in?" Sutaru asked.

"Yeah, but it looks like you guys beat us." Ino said with a sigh.

"Hey Sutaru, wanna play some shogi?" Shikamaru suddenly asked.

"But, there's no shogi board…" Suddenly Shikamaru went into his pack and pulled out a mini shogi board. Sutaru's eyes lit up.

"Well…?" Shikamaru smirked. Sutaru smirked back.

"You're on!" Sutaru grabbed a pancake, stuffed it in her mouth, and ran over to have a battle of wits with Shikamaru. I smiled.

"Wow, this is the first time I've seen Shikamaru interested in a girl." Choji said crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Shikamaru usually says girls are just a drag and that they aren't worth the trouble, but he seems to really like Sutaru."

"It's probably because he's finally found someone who actually has a chance against him in shogi." Choji smiled.

"That's probably it." I turned as I heard some gagging behind me. It was Kitsuchi.

"You alright?" I asked.

"These…pancakes…are…disgusting!"

"What're you talking about? I thought they were good…"

"They…taste…like…cardboard! I don't even want to know what the berries taste like!" I laughed. Kitsuchi's sense of taste has never failed her before. The fact that she made it so dramatic only made it funnier.

"Whoa Kitsuchi, you alright there? You're face is all red." Kiba walked over. If her face hadn't already been red from choking on the pancakes it would have been worse now.

"I…I...the pancake…uh…cardboard…" I smiled. Kiba suddenly walked up to Kitsuchi and put his forehead on hers. Kitsuchi tensed and I noticed that her face lit up.

"Hmm, you don't have a fever. You sure you're ok?"

"Fine…I mean…uh…I'm fine Kiba don't worry about it." Kitsuchi shrugged Kiba off but the damage had been done. Her face was still red, but not from the pancakes, and her eyes were happy and bright. Kiba shrugged his shoulders and walked over to watch the intense game between Shikamaru and Sutaru. Kitsuchi let out a breath she had been holding in.

"Can you believe that guy?! The nerve of him!" I cocked on eyebrow.

"You liked it and you know it." Kitsuchi's mouth fell open.

"I did not!"

"You so did! You're face was on fire and you stuttered! You never stutter!"

"Well…he…uh…he just caught me off guard." I smirked.

"Yes I'm sure he just 'caught you off guard'." Kitsuchi glared at me. I smiled. She turned and walked towards Hinata and Shino and started to talk to them. Choji came to stand beside me, a mountain of pancakes on his plate.

"What's her problem?" He asked his mouth full.

"Oh nothing, don't worry about it." I smiled at him. Choji then picked up another plate full of pancakes.

"Are those for you too?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nope, these ones are for you. Being in that forest has made you even skinnier than before! You need some more meat on your bones."

"Come on Choji you know that guys only like skinny girls!" Ino suddenly said. Choji's face fell.

"That's not true…" I glared at Ino. She could be such a little, well, pig sometimes. I finally understood why Sakura called her that all the time. I quickly grabbed the plate, picked up a pancake, and stuffed the whole thing in my mouth. Choji smiled at me while Ino stared at me not sure whether to be disgusted or insulted. I grabbed Choji's free hand and pulled him past her to go join the others.

The sun had set, the crescent moon was up, and there was still no sign of Sasuke, Naruto, or Sakura. Already most of the Konoha shinobi had arrived except for them.

"You ok Ayane?" I looked up as Sutaru and Kitsuchi sat down beside me.

"Oh, uh, yeah I'm fine." I smiled weakly.

"You sure? You've been sighing all day." Sutaru put a hand on my forehead to make sure I didn't have a fever. Kitsuchi smirked.

"She's upset because Sasuke isn't here." She teased. I glared at her.

"Go find Kiba and pretend like you have a fever." She glared at me but didn't say another word. I sighed.

"I'm worried about Orochimaru. I know that he's not going to give up on me or Sasuke that easily. I have a feeling that he is going to be here for the rest of the exams, but I just don't know where or when he's going to strike next." Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at the floor.

"I suppose you have a point." Sutaru said.

"Yeah she does, but there's nothing we can do except for wait until he does strike. When he does we'll just have to strike right back." I smiled at Kitsuchi. Her use of force for everything always made me feel better. I leaned my head back and sighed.

"I suppose that's true." Kitsuchi smiled.

"It is, now let's go get dinner, hopefully it's something edible, and then rest up. Tomorrow is the last day of the second part of the exam and I want it to be over quickly." I smiled and together we walked to the dining room.

The sun shone through the windows on the last day of the exam. As soon as I woke up I made a quick scout through the tower lobby. My face fell. There was still no sign of Team 7, and I was really starting to get worried. I sauntered into the dining room and had a small breakfast before walking back out into the lobby. Everyone who had made it through was all gathered around. I walked over to Kitsuchi and Sutaru.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We're not sure yet. They just asked that everyone gather in the main lobby." Sutaru explained. I stood with them and we waited. Suddenly Anko walked in.

"Congratulations. You have all passed the second part of the exam. Not bad at all. Now if you'll all follow me we'll head into the main part of the tower."

"W-wait a second! I thought we still had another day?! What about the other teams?!" Anko looked at me and sighed.

"We're going to give them a couple more hours. We just need to gather everyone who's here up right now so as not to waste any time. Now let's go!" We followed Anko out of the lobby and through the large hallway until we came to a door that was locked. Anko quickly pulled out some keys and opened the lock. She opened the door for us and we piled into the room. The room was gigantic! It had a large tiled floor and two sets of stairs that led onto two rectangular balconies. In front of us was a large statue of a shinobi making the o-hitsugi hand sign. The Hokage, as well as all the shinobi team leaders and the exam proctors, were standing in front of the statue. We all walked forward and lined up with our teams. Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I stood beside Neji's teams and Kabuto's team. We all stood and waited for something to happen. Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I looked up and scanned the group until our eyes fell on Ryuunosuke-sensei. We waited until he noticed us staring at him and we all waved happily. He turned his head trying to ignore us but the red tint his cheeks had gone meant that he was happy we were there. I looked at Anko who kept glancing at her watch and soon more teams began to come through the doors. My heart did a flip when I finally saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura come through the door. Sasuke turned and scanned the group until his eyes found mine. I smiled at him and his face went slightly red. He quickly turned away and lined up with the rest of us.

"Ooooh, Ayane you're Romeo is here!" Kitsuchi whispered. I smirked.

"And if you look about two teams down you'll see that yours is trying to get your attention." Kitsuchi quickly turned to face Kiba. She glared at me when she realized I had tricked her. I smiled triumphantly and she turned away. I noticed Sutaru glancing nervously over at Gaara. I smiled. At least she was quiet about everything, unlike me and Kitsuchi. Though I was still trying to figure out what Sutaru saw in Gaara.

"Alright punks the second part of the exam is officially over! Now everyone listen up! The Third Lord Hokage is going to explain the third part of the exam to you, so you better take what he says to heart!" Anko suddenly yelled out. We all turned forward and faced the Hokage as he prepared to make a speech.

"The third exam is about to commence, but before I go into the specifics I would like to first make something perfectly clear, the purpose of the exam. Why do you suppose we conduct this exam with all of our allying nations? 'To promote friendship among allied nations and raise the level and standards in the art of shinobi…' be very clear on what those phrases mean. The series of these so-called examinations is, in fact, a miniature war between the allied nations." Everyone gasped and I couldn't help find myself slightly excited about this.

"W-what do you mean?" Tenten asked.

"If you were to study our recent history, and the map of the world, you would notice that the alliance is merely a temporary and mutually beneficial agreement between geographically conscious nations whose previous existence was one of continual strife, constantly fighting openly and in secret for power and the control over resources that were practically depleted during the great struggle. That was when the plan to hold the chunin exams was devised."

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard! I thought the point was to just choose who was gonna become chunin?!" Naruto blurted out. I sighed but Kitsuchi smiled brightly.

"Make no mistake, by the end of this exam we will have weeded out the weaklings and have found those worthy enough to be named chunin, but even more importantly, it serves as an arena for genin to honour their homelands and fight, to the death if need be."

"'Honour their homelands'?" Ino asked.

"This third part of the exam will be viewed under the watchful eyes of the most esteemed of guests, including the aspiring rulers and nobilities of the various lands you all serve and among their number will be those who rule over each country's own hidden ninja villages. They will all be watching you. If any one nation's applicants shows a form of distinguished skill or superiority, the nobles from every land will be quick to commission that shinobi trained in that superior nation. However, if the shinobi are seen as feeble little weaklings then the commissions for that country will dwindle. When a country is strong in battle and therefore receives many commissions and in turn flourishes then that village can easily turn to its neighbour and say 'beware for we posses prowess, riches, and the influence of political power'!"

"So what?! Why is this so important that you force us to stake our lives on it?!" Kiba yelled out.

"The strength of the country is derived from the strength of its village, and in turn the strength of the village is derived from the shinobi who live there. The greatest strength of those shinobi is only shown in desperate fight-to-the-death battles. This exam provides a public arena for each country to boast and show off the power of its shinobi and hence the strength of the country! This test has great meaning and an even greater consequence. As you struggle for the sake of your lives and your people you help to fulfill the dreams of all our ancestors."

"But you've always emphasized the concept of 'friendship' if what you say is true, then why?" Tenten asked.

"Though my meaning is subtle I choose my words with care. To preserve the balance of power at the risk of lives is the essence of friendship in the world of shinobi. Let me reiterate once more before we begin the third exam, this is no ordinary test! You risk not only your own hopes and dreams, but the dignity and prestige of your home as well."

"Whatever, could you wrap up the philosophical theories and get to the life-and-death stuff any time soon?" Sutaru glanced up again at Gaara's remark. Everything about him creeped me out.

"So you insist I explain about the third exam? Well the truth is-" The Hokage was cut off as another shinobi suddenly appeared before him.

"Forgive my interruption Lord Hokage, but if you don't mind could you hand over the rest of the proceedings to me, Hayate Gekko, proctor of the third exam?"

"Very well, go ahead." Hayate nodded and turned to face the rest of us.

"Good to meet you everyone, I'm Hayate." My eyes grew wide as I looked at Hayate. He had black rings under his eyes and looked like he could barely stand. He kept on coughing and I thought for sure he was going to fall asleep at any time.

"Uh, before we start the exam I must ask you all to do something for me. You see there are some preliminaries that we have to go through, and whether you go on to the main exam depends on how well you do in those."

"Preliminaries?!" Shikamaru exclaimed.

"Uh, Hayate-sensei I don't understand what you mean by 'preliminaries'. Why can't all the remaining applicants just go through?" Sakura asked.

"Well, not to say that the first two exams weren't hard enough but the truth is there are still too many applicants left. Under the rules of the exam we have to hold preliminaries to cut down the number of applicants who make it through to the third exam. As Lord Hokage already stated a number of honoured guests will be arriving to watch the third exam so we have to make the exam intense, tight, and fast-moving. Anyway, now that you all know what the exam's all about anyone who doesn't feel up to it, either physically or mentally, can walk away. Just raise your hand and take a step forward, because the preliminaries start now!" I tensed. Now, so soon? We had just gotten out of the forest and they wanted us to start fighting already? I was slightly nervous, but at the same time I was also very excited. I noticed Kitsuchi glance up at me.

"Kitsuchi I'm fine, I can do this, so don't even think about it." Kitsuchi sighed and smiled.

"Ok, just making sure." I smiled at her. At least she wasn't persistent when she wasn't supposed to be. I looked to the side as Kabuto put his hand up and stepped forward.

"Well, I'm outta here." Hayate picked up his clipboard, coughed one more time, and turned to Kabuto.

"You're Kabuto Yakushi right? Ok then you can go. Oh and in case I forgot to mention, from here on in you fight as individuals, not as members of a team. So if you want to quit you can without worrying about anyone else. So anyone else want out? Show of hands?"

"Kabuto what's up with quitting?!" Naruto demanded.

"Naruto I'm sorry but those guys we fought last beat the crap outta me, ever since I fought with those sound ninja I've been deaf in my left ear, and now they're saying this could be a fight to the death?! I just don't think I'm up for it." I glared at Kabuto. There was something about him I didn't trust. He glanced down at me, smiled, and continued to walk out. I crossed my arms and sulked. I really didn't like that guy.

I scanned the sensei standing in front of us. My eyes fell on the sensei from Otogakure. Something about him seemed very familiar, but I wasn't sure what it was. His head slowly moved and his eyes fell on mine. I tensed as another wave of pain erupted from the curse mark. I cringed and quickly brought my hand up to my neck. Sutaru and Kitsuchi quickly surrounded me trying to block me from everyone's view.

"Is it hurting again?" Kitsuchi asked worried.

"Y-yeah, but it's not as bad as it usually is. I think I just need to catch my breath and it should go away." I glanced over at Sasuke as he glanced at me. His hand was over his mark too. I tensed as the pain became slightly worse and had to bite my tongue to keep from shouting out. When I looked back up at Sasuke he was holding Sakura's hand down and he looked angry. I took one more deep breath and the pain slowly washed away. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward again.

"Well since no one else wants to leave we'll begin the preliminaries. The preliminaries will be one-on-one battles that will continue like a mini tournament. Since there are twenty-six combatants we'll hold thirteen matches and the winners of those matches will advance on to the third exam. This is a no-holds barred fight. Combatants will continue to fight until one is either dead, unconscious, or admits defeat. If you sense that your opponent is over-powering you then I suggest that you admit defeat if you value your life. Since we don't want a total blood bath there will be certain cases where there is an undisputed winner and I'll have to step in to finish the match, but don't count on it. From here on out your fates are held in," a board on the wall slowly lifted revealing a blank screen, "this electronic score-board. So, umm, not to hurry you all to the slaughter house or anything, but let's begin. We will now announce the first two names." We all turned to look up at the score-board. It flashed many different names preparing to choose two at random. I looked at the screen anxiously. Suddenly, the names stopped flashing and only two remained.

"Ayane Kikuchi and Kaiiri Unora. Would the two individuals with those names please step forward." I smirked. Kitsuchi and Sutaru looked at me with worry on their faces.

"Calm down you guys, I'll be fine." I smiled and stuck my tongue out at them playfully. They smiled. I stepped forward and stood in front of Hayate. As I stepped up so did my opponent Kaiiri. I immediately recognized her as the girl whose team we first faced in the forest.

"Huh, so you managed to make it through after all." I said. She glared at me.

"Yeah, and now it's time for some payback. I have to admit, they chose this battle perfectly." I smirked.

"I was thinking the same thing."

"Ayane Kikuchi, Kaiiri Unora, you two are the first match, do you have any objections?"

"None." I replied.

"No." Kaiiri replied after.

"Good, then would all the remaining ninja please make your way up the stairs on either side of you and wait up there for your names to be called." I watched as everyone made their way up the stairs. All the Konoha ninja took the stairs on the right while everyone else went up the left stairs. Ryuunosuke-sensei threw me a quick warning glance. I ignored him and turned back to Kaiiri.

"Go Ayane!"

"Yeah! Take her down!"

"Yeah Ayane!" I looked up at Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and Naruto. They were all cheering wildly and I smiled.

"It doesn't matter how loud they yell, there's no way you're going to beat me."

"If you think I need them cheering me on to win then you are sorely mistaken." Kaiiri glared at me again and I smirked at her. The more she hated me, the more interesting this match would be.

"Now if no one else has any other objections, let the match…Begin!" Kaiiri quickly jumped back as Hayate jumped away from us. I smiled as I ran straight at her. Before she could react I punched her in the face. She skidded back and fell to one knee.

"Why you little…"

"That's what you get for doing the same thing as everyone else. Whenever a battle starts people always jump back, personally I find it more entertaining to run right into it." Kaiiri smiled and pulled out a kunai.

"Alright then, let's try it your way." Kaiiri ran at me and I prepared for her attack. She threw the kunai at me and I quickly jumped to dodge it. Suddenly while I was in the air, the kunai went back into Kaiiri's hand and she threw it back at me. I pulled my arms up to cover my face and the kunai hit me in the left forearm. When I landed on the ground I looked down at the kunai. My eyes grew wide as I realized that the kunai had no grip, it was just a blade. Suddenly the blade shifted and flew out of my arm, creating a small trail of blood behind it. I looked forward and finally realized what had happened. Kaiiri smiled.

"Retractable kunai. When I throw them I just throw the blade and not the grip. If I miss my target I can quickly pull the kunai back and re-aim it at my target. It saves me a lot of time and kunai." I glared at her and she smiled. I could feel the blood falling down my arm but ignored it. I pulled out a kunai and ran at her. She prepared herself. Before I reached her I jumped to the side. Thinking I was going for her side she lunged at me. I dodged her attack and slid under her. I kicked up and she went flying. I quickly jumped up above her, placed both feet on her chest, and pushed her back to the ground as hard as I could. She flew back to the ground and landed with a hard thud. I landed a couple of feet away from her.

"Yeah Ayane!" Sutaru called.

"Nice one that was totally awesome!" Kitsuchi called after. I smiled and turned waiting for Hayate to call the match. Suddenly I tensed and tried to turn but was too late. Kaiiri had gotten up and ran at me from behind. She put her arms under mine and pulled back.

"Never let your guard down until you're sure your opponent is definitely out." She suddenly flipped me back. I quickly straightened myself up and bent my legs to catch myself before I hit the ground. Kaiiri looked at me shocked and I smiled. She smiled back at me. She suddenly swung her leg over. I tried to dodge but her foot hit my right side. I let go of her and jumped back.

"Nice plan, kick me and force me to let go, but I'm afraid you didn't do much."

"Didn't I?" I looked at her confused. Suddenly pain shot up my right side. I looked down and my eyes grew wide. Across my side was a deep cut. I looked at her expecting an answer. I found it when I looked down at her shoe. Her shoes had built in blades inside the soles! This girl was a walking, talking weapon! I grabbed my side to stop the bleeding and glared at her.

"Why you little…come on Ayane! Kick her butt!" Kitsuchi called down. I smiled. I put my hands together and made the o-hitsugi hand sign. Six other clones appeared. I quickly equalized my chakra through them so that we were all the same. I ran at Kaiiri. I quickly turned and all of me ran around Kaiiri as fast as we could.

"Whoa, I didn't know she was so fast!" I heard Naruto comment. I smiled. I suddenly stopped and repressed my presence as much as I could. My clones and I stood around Kaiiri, taunting her.

"Well, which one of us is the real one?" We asked in unison. She looked between the seven of us, not sure what to do.

"Incredible, I can't even tell the difference between them!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"That's my Ayane for you." I heard Ryuunosuke-sensei say. I smiled. Kaiiri kept glancing at each clone, not knowing what to do.

"Come on Kaiiri! Hurry this up already!" One of her teammates called.

"It's not that easy!" She yelled back.

"Aww, is poor Kaiiri confused?" I taunted. She glared at me but worry was all over her face.

"Shut up!"

"Come now, can't you tell just a little bit?"

"I said shut up!" She threw one of her retractable kunai. I quickly released the chakra from that clone, spread it to the rest of them, and then repressed my presence again.

"Come on Kaiiri! Stop playing and finish her off!" Kaiiri turned and glared at her teammate. She turned back to me and took a deep breath. She suddenly lifted her arms up. I smiled.

"Just taking us out two at a time may double your chances of finding the real me, but it will also leave an opening for me to attack." Kaiiri smiled back.

"Taking you out two at a time would be fun, but why do that when I can take you out all at once?!" I tensed as Kaiiri began to spin around. She eventually started to spin so fast she looked like nothing but a blur. Suddenly my clones began to disappear. I didn't realize what was going on until I was pummeled with a barrage of senbon. I put my hands up to protect my face. Suddenly Kaiiri was right in front of me. She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into her knee. She then elbowed me under the chin and flipped backwards, kicking me in the face as she flipped. She jumped back and ran at me as fast as she could. She jumped up and using both feet kicked me in the chest. I flew backwards and rolled across the ground.

"Heh, that'll teach a brat like you what happens when you mess with a true shinobi like me. Let's face it, you were doomed the moment you handed in your application. There's no way a weakling like you will ever become a chunin." I tensed. "_You're a weakling Ayane, you disappoint me", "Can't even handle a small fight like this? Get out of my sight", "You're a disgrace to shinobi, you'll never amount to anything". _His voice echoed through my mind. All my life I was never good enough. I was too weak, too soft, I didn't do the hand signs fast enough, I didn't use the proper form of taijutsu. Never was I worthy of anything. I never received praise, even when I did something right, and I was always disciplined if I did something wrong. I stared at the ground, wondering if I should even bother getting up. Suddenly I felt a cold sting on my neck. The curse mark was starting to hurt again, but for some reason I didn't care. I put my hands on the ground and slowly began to push myself back up.

"Ready for some more punishment?" I stood shakily to my feet. Senbon were sticking out of my body but I didn't care. I slowly lifted my gaze. My bangs covered my left eye. I glared darkly at Kaiiri and fear filled her face. She quickly shook the fear away and smiled.

"This time I'll end it for sure." Kaiiri pulled out a kunai and ran straight for me. I waited for her to come. When she finally reached me her eyes grew wide. At the last second I had stepped to the side and stabbed my wrist blade through her shoulder. She stopped and looked down at my hand. I smiled darkly.

"You're not the only one with hidden weapons." I walked towards her and slowly pushed my wrist blade into her shoulder. She cried out in pain. When I was close enough to her I put my head on her shoulder and whispered into her ear.

"You hurt me, and now I'm going to kill you." Her face filled with fear and she looked at me. I smiled and punched her in the face. Kaiiri flew back. I ran after her and when I reached her I kicked her in the stomach. I then turned and punched her in the face before turning around and kicking her in the side. She flew back and rolled along the ground.I walked over to her and lifted her up.

"P-please don't." She pleaded. I smirked.

"It's not over yet." I threw her up and kicked her in the back. She flew forward and hit the wall. I heard a couple of cracks and knew that some of her ribs had broken. She stayed on her feet and coughed up blood. I ran at her, grabbed her by the throat, and lifted her up. I pulled back my other arm and unsheathed my wrist blade. Gasps filled the arena. I smiled wickedly and pulled my arm back.Suddenly the pain on my neck became worse. I felt the marks begin to cover my body. I began to shake and for some reason I had trouble controlling my arm. I finally realized that the mark was trying to force me to kill Kaiiri. I fought back as hard as I could. I didn't want to kill Kaiiri, though I thought I did, I truly didn't. If I were to kill her then it would only prove every word that Orochimaru had ever said to me, and I refused to let that happen. I cringed and fought back the curse mark. Pain erupted through my whole body. I yelled out and continued to fight. I slowly moved my arm away from Kaiiri's face and at the last second my arm released and stabbed through the wall only inches from her cheek. A small cut appeared on her face where the blade had come so close. Beads of sweat fell down my face and I was panting heavily. I dropped Kaiiri to the ground.

"Q-quit now, or you are going to die."

"Wh-what?"

"I said, quit now or I will kill you!"

"B-but I…" I quickly turned and glared darkly at her.

"I…said…quit!" I pulled my wrist blade out of the wall and slashed her across the stomach. Kaiiri screamed out in pain. I fell on her, grabbed her throat, and held the wrist blade above her head.

"Quit, damn it, quit!" Tears were falling down my face. If she continued to stay in this fight, for whatever reason, she was going to die by my hand. Kaiiri stared up at me, fear and confusion plastered on her face.

"Please, please just quit. I don't want to kill you but if you stay in this fight I won't be able to control myself anymore, and you will die." Kaiiri's eyes filled with tears. She quickly closed them and screamed.

"I give! I give up! Please just stop her! I don't wanna die!" Suddenly Ryuunosuke-sensei was by my side. He lifted me from Kaiiri and held me back. I was shaking violently and my body had gone limp.

"The match goes to Ayane Kikuchi!" Hayate yelled. The medical ninja as well as Kaiiri's teammates and sensei quickly appeared. They lifted Kaiiri onto a stretcher. She was bleeding profusely and had three broken ribs. They quickly took her away. Ryuunosuke-sensei led me up the stairs to where Kitsuchi and Sutaru were waiting.

"Ayane you did it you won!" Kitsuchi said with a bright smile.

"Congratulations! You made it to the third exam!" Sutaru hugged me. I cringed and she quickly let go.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"It's ok, I just need to take these senbon out." I sat down on the edge of the balcony and began to take the senbon out one by one.

"Shouldn't you let a medical ninja do that?" I looked up to see Kakashi-sensei standing above me. He sat down next to me.

"I have basic medical training. I can heal these wounds easily."

"Really? Not many genin can say they have the same skills."

"Well in case you haven't noticed I'm not like the other genin." I forced chakra into my hands and began to heal the cut on my side, the cut on my arm, and the small cuts the senbon had made.

"Impressive."

"Are you here to admire my medical ninjutsu or do you have a reason for sitting beside me?"

"I just came to tell you not to go anywhere just yet."

"Why not?"

"After Sasuke's fight I'm going to seal the curse marks." My eyes grew wide.

"You know how to seal the curse mark?"

"Yes and I need to seal them quickly. In you're fight you came very close to losing control. I noticed it when you started to brutally attack that girl." I smirked.

"Alright, I'll stay."

"Alright, but what's with the smirk?"

"When I was 'brutally attacking' Kaiiri, I feel it safe to tell you that it wasn't the curse mark, that was all me." Kakashi stared at me shocked. He slowly stood to his feet. He walked away but kept throwing me concerned glances. I sighed and stood back up. I walked over to Kitsuchi and Sutaru. They were watching the names flash on the screen. The names suddenly stopped.

"Sasuke Uchiha versus Yoroi Akado. Would the two individuals whose names are listed there please come down here." Sasuke smiled.

"Didn't think I'd be going this soon." I looked at Sasuke. Ever since the incident with Orochimaru he had been ignoring me and it was making me worried. He went to head down the stairs when I suddenly lost control of my mouth.

"Sasuke!" He glanced at me.

"What?"

"Well…uh…I…" I blushed slightly. I had no idea what I wanted to say to him.

"Stop wasting my time. If you don't have anything to say then please excuse me I need to get down to my match." He turned to leave again.

"Sasuke wait!" He turned right around and glared at me.

"What is it?!" I took a deep breath.

"Good luck with your match. I hope you win and just so you know…I'll be cheering for you." Sasuke's glare became soft and his eyes grew wide.

"Well…uh…thanks." I smiled at him. His face turned slightly pink. The smile quickly faded.

"Something else bothering you?" I looked back up at him.

"Well, Sasuke, just be careful." Sasuke stared at me and then gave me one of his so rare smiles. He put his hand up, wrist down and moved it in a shooing motion.

"C'mere." I walked over to Sasuke. Just as I was just about to reach him he stuck his index finger and middle finger out and jabbed me in the middle of the forehead.

"Oww! What was that for?!" I asked putting my hand up to my forehead.

"Calm down and stop worrying so much. I'll be fine." I stared after him as he turned to leave. When he was at the stairs he turned his head to the side.

"Hey Ayane?"

"Yes?"

"Good job on your match, you were pretty impressive out there." He turned back around and continued down the stairs. I felt my face go bright red. Everyone was staring at me. I quickly turned around and faced forward. I looked down at Sasuke. He glanced up at me and threw me another one of his smiles. I must have done something good to get two smiles in one day. The thought made my face glow an even brighter shade of red. I sat on the ground and put my legs through the bars. I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the heat radiating off my face. I then found myself smiling as I watched Sasuke staring down his opponent.

"Good luck Sasuke, and thank you."


	13. Chapter 12: Aces and Interruptions

**Chapter Twelve**

**Shino's Ace in the Hole and **

**Ayane's Interrupted Sealing!**

"Good luck Sasuke." I whispered to myself for the fifth time in a row.

"Ayane calm down! He's going to be fine. After all, he has to try and outperform you now anyway." Kitsuchi said sitting down beside me.

"I can't help it, I've never been so nervous before and I don't really know why I'm this anxious."

"Oh I can think of a few reasons." Sutaru stated cocking an eyebrow. I stared blankly at her and she sighed.

"Never mind Ayane, never mind." I shrugged and turned back to the battle ground. Sasuke and Yoroi stared each other down. Yoroi stood at least two heads taller than Sasuke and was at least another two years older. This was going to be a very interesting fight. Suddenly Sasuke tensed.

"Oh no." I breathed.

"What is it?" Kitsuchi asked.

"The curse mark, it's hurting him."

"Do you think it'll affect his fighting?" Sutaru asked.

"As long as he doesn't use too much chakra he should be ok. The only problem is, the Sharingan. If he uses it, even for a second, he could lose control of himself again." Sutaru and Kitsuchi swallowed hard and turned back to the fight that was about to commence. Kakashi suddenly disappeared and stood behind Sasuke for a small while before coming back up to the balcony. Sasuke put his hand up to his neck.

"What do you suppose is wrong with Sasuke?" I heard Choji ask.

"Nothing of course, it _is _Sasuke after all, he's fine. He has to be." Ino replied.

"Now if both parties are ready, please begin." Hayate commanded.

"Shall I start?" Yoroi asked.

"Go for it." Sasuke replied. Yoroi put his hands together and they suddenly started to glow with a faint blue light. He moved his other hand back and shuffled through his carrying case. He then pulled out three shuriken at the same time that Sasuke pulled out a kunai. Yoroi threw the shuriken and Sasuke quickly blocked them with a single swing of his kunai. Yoroi quickly dodged the ricocheting shuriken. Suddenly Sasuke tensed and fell to the ground. Yoroi quickly took this chance and jumped at Sasuke. Yoroi punched the ground just as Sasuke rolled to the side. The punch was strong enough to break a small hole in the tiled floor. Everyone gasped. Sasuke then stabbed his kunai into the ground, swung himself around, and put both his feet on Yoroi's arm. He put one foot around Yoroi's wrist and the other foot on his upper arm. He then flipped Yoroi down to the ground. He brought one of his legs around and pinned Yoroi to the ground by the neck. He then grabbed Yoroi's arm pulled it up and wrapped his free leg around it and dislocated his arm. Yoroi was pinned.

"Yes, nice pin Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"He may have pinned him, but now he has to finish the match." I whispered to myself. Yoroi suddenly turned his hand and grabbed Sasuke's chest. Sasuke tensed and suddenly let go of Yoroi's arm. Yoroi quickly put his arm back into place and hit Sasuke across the face. Sasuke fell back and released Yoroi. Sasuke began to twitch and didn't jump back up like he usually did. Something was wrong.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled. Suddenly Sasuke jerked up just as Yoroi jumped at him. Yoroi put his glowing hand on Sasuke's forehead and pushed him back to the ground. Sasuke's body began to twitch again and his arm fell to the ground like Sasuke had no bones left. I tensed.

"Ayane, what's Yoroi doing?" Kitsuchi asked.

"He's feeding off of Sasuke's chakra. If this keeps up, Sasuke won't be able to move at all." Suddenly Sasuke yelled out in pain. If this kept up Sasuke would have no choice but to use the curse mark. I suddenly stood to my feet.

"Sasuke you stupid idiot get off your lazy ass and finish that loser off! If you lose this I'll never forgive you and you'll never hear the end of it!" Everyone on the balcony stared at me completely shocked. Sasuke suddenly began to lift his leg off the ground.

"You, son of a…!" He suddenly kicked Yoroi and Yoroi flew back. Sasuke went up on one knee panting heavily. He slowly turned his head to face me. I glared at him and he smiled. I quickly smiled back and Sasuke turned back to face Yoroi.

"Sasuke how can you still call yourself an Uchiha! You're a disgrace to yourself! Aren't you embarrassed to have everyone see you as a loser?! Especially after Ayane's fight! Right now you're nothing compared to her!" I turned to look at Naruto. My face burned bright red. Naruto could be so embarrassing sometimes. Sasuke turned to look at Naruto and a shocked expression crossed his face, like a small light had illuminated in Sasuke's mind. Yoroi suddenly turned and ran at Sasuke.

"Bad time to let your mind wander! This time I'm gonna take all of your chakra! This is it!" Everyone gasped as Sasuke suddenly went under Yoroi and kicked him up under the chin.

"I'll limit myself to using my own special skills after this, but for now…it's over!" Sasuke suddenly appeared behind Yoroi and put his fingers against Yoroi's back.

"No…Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!" Yoroi exclaimed.

"Eat this!" Suddenly Sasuke tensed and coughed up blood. The veins in Sasuke's arms started to bulge. I tensed as the curse mark began to sting. I quickly reached for it.

"Ayane, it's starting to hurt again." Kitsuchi said concerned.

"No, it's fine, but Sasuke isn't, his curse mark is starting to react." As if on queue the small marks began to cover Sasuke's body.

"Sasuke no! Don't let it consume you! You're better than this! Fight it Sasuke, fight it!" I screamed. Sasuke slowly turned to face me.

"Please…fight it." Sasuke turned back and suddenly the marks began to go back to the curse mark.

"Let's go!" Sasuke yelled. He grabbed Yoroi's back and swung his leg around. He then pushed Yoroi up and tried to kick him. Yoroi quickly blocked it.

"Stupid amateur!" Yoroi yelled. Sasuke then twisted his body brining his leg down. He then swung his arm around and hit Yoroi under his chin. Yoroi quickly headed to the ground.

"Stupid amateur? I highly doubt it." Kakashi said with an awed look across his face. Sasuke then swung his other arm around and punched Yoroi in the stomach.

"And now…!" Sasuke then turned the rest of his body around and using all his strength slammed his leg into Yoroi's stomach.

"Lions Barrage!" Yoroi landed hard onto the ground and spat out blood. Sasuke suddenly fell back and slid away from Yoroi's body. He landed face down on the ground. No one moved. I started rubbing my fingers together.

"Come on Sasuke, come on, get up!" I whispered under my breath. Hayate walked over to inspect Yoroi when Sasuke began to slowly get up. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly.

"I'm halting this match before it goes any further. In other words, Sasuke Uchiha has won the second match of the preliminaries and advances to the third exam!"

"He did it!" Naruto yelled.

"Way to go Sasuke!" Sutaru yelled.

"Yeah, he did alright I suppose." Kitsuchi shrugged. I smiled.

"Good job Sasuke." I whispered under my breath. Sasuke suddenly began to fall back and Kakashi suddenly appeared and stopped Sasuke from falling by placing his knee against Sasuke's back.

"Well done." Kakashi said while reading his book.

"Sasuke you won but in a such an uncool way! It looks like you're the one who got beat up instead!" Naruto teased.

"Shut up loser." Sasuke replied.

"Ooh Sasuke! You're the best ever!" Ino said with admiration in her eyes.

"I don't know about you guys but my stomach is so empty, I really need some food." Choji commented.

"Man this is such a drag." Shikamaru sighed.

"W-wow…" Hinata stuttered.

"Pheh, it wasn't that great." Kiba scoffed.

"Aww what's wrong Kiba? Are we jealous perhaps?" Kitsuchi teased.

"Of that?! You've gotta be kidding me."

"Face it, you're totally jealous of Sasuke."

"No I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!" I turned away from Kiba and Kitsuchi's fight and looked back down at the fighting area. The medical ninja had already put Yoroi on a stretcher.

"Sasuke, we need to escort you to the hospital so that you can get the best possible treatment."

"Sorry to say but you'd be way in over your head. I'll handle him for now." Kakashi told them. He whispered something to Sasuke and then turned to face me. He motioned me down and I quickly jumped off the balcony and joined them.

"Alright then, let's get the next match underway." Hayate said as soon as Yoroi was out of the battle arena.

"Do I have to go? I want to watch the other matches." Sasuke complained.

"No, don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. This thing is spreading like a disease, almost to the point of no return. I let you have your way once so don't get greedy." I smiled. Finally someone was there to put Sasuke in his place.

"Ayane will you help carry Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"Uh, ok, sure." I bent down and put Sasuke's arm around my shoulders. I slowly lifted him to his feet. We waited until the next names were chosen. When the names appeared I read them out loud.

"Zaku Abumi versus Shino Aburame. Wait wasn't Shino in our class?" Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah, he was the really quiet guy with the glasses." I thought back and remembered the guy who had stopped Choji from stepping on that bug.

"Oh yeah, I remember him. And Zaku is…"

"One of the genin from Otogakure. He was the one who tried to take you…" Sasuke trailed off. I looked at Sasuke.

"Oh, I see." Kakashi walked forward and led us out of the prelim room and down a long corridor. The last thing I saw before the doors closed was Shino stepping up to face Zaku.

-Sutaru-

I looked around and couldn't find Ayane anywhere. I was sure she was standing at the railing before but now she was gone.

"Kitsuchi did you see where Ayane went?" Kitsuchi turned from her fight with Kiba and looked around.

"Now that you mention it, no. Where did she disappear to?" We both looked around and couldn't spot her anywhere. I also noticed that Sasuke and Kakashi were missing too. I looked at Kitsuchi and smiled mischievously. She smiled back and we decided it was best to just watch the next match.

"Hey Sakura, during that fight did you see those weird marks on Sasuke's neck? It was growing like a fungus." Naruto suddenly said. Sakura looked down and slowly shook her head.

"I don't really know." That shut Naruto up really fast. We looked back down at the fighters facing off. Shino was that weird guy who saved that stupid little bug, and Zaku was the stupid little bug who tried to run off with Ayane.

"Alright everyone, the third match of the preliminaries is about to begin." Hayate announced.

"I hope Shino will be ok." Hinata said worriedly.

"Don't worry about him, out of all the contestants here he's the one I wouldn't want to end up fighting." Kiba stated with a serious look in his eyes.

"Really? Why?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Trust me, you'll see soon enough."

"You may begin." Hayate took a small step back. No one moved. The entire room was silent.

"If you go through with this you'll get hurt so badly you'll never be the same. I suggest you walk away while you still can." Shino suddenly said.

"Is he really one who can make a threat like that?" I asked.

"You'd be surprised." Kiba answered. Suddenly Zaku started to move his left hand.

"Hmm, it seems I can move this arm alright…and I'm betting I can beat you with one arm tied!" Zaku jumped at Shino. When he reached Shino he swung his arm to hit Shino in the side of the head. Shino quickly blocked the attack.

"It'll take more than an _arm_ to beat me."

"Just shut up!" Zaku turned his hand so his palm faced Shino.

"Uh oh, not this again." I stated.

"You know it?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah, we met Zaku and his team in the forest of death and he used that same attack that he's about to use now." Kitsuchi explained.

"Well what is he-" Kiba was cut off as a blast of air came out of Zaku's palm. It hit Shino right in the head. Shino flew back and landed on the ground face down. We all gasped and waited.

"On your feet loser!" We waited and Shino slowly stood back to his feet. The smoke slowly faded away. Everyone gasped again and I clenched my fists into tight balls. Coming out of Shino's left cheek, where the blast had hit him, were small little bugs. Shivers went down my spine and I had to bite my lip not to scream out and attack the stupid little things. Zaku suddenly tensed and turned around to see thousands of the little bugs crawling straight for him.

"Do you like my tiny friends? They're called "Kikaichu", parasitic destruction beetles. They attack in swarms and devour the chakra of their prey. There's no way you'd survive an onslaught of this magnitude, so if you value your life, surrender now. Surrendering is your only way out of this. If you come at and attack me with your left arm, my parasitic beetles will be all over your unprotected back in seconds. On the other hand, use your left hand to attack the kikaichu swarm, and your front will be open for my attack, so either way, you're trapped. Unless, of course, you had the foresight to prepare a backup plan." Zaku looked around him. There was no way for him to escape from Shino's attack.

"Absolutely amazing! Shino came up with that entire battle strategy in just a few minutes. And those kikaichu are incredible allies." Kitsuchi commented. I shivered.

"Kikaichu or not, a bug is still a bug, and they all need to be squashed." I replied. Kitsuchi smiled.

"Can't you at least take a second to step away from your phobia and admire Shino's talents?"

"That kid plays around with bugs, there is no way I'm going to acknowledge a freak like that." I replied coolly.

"Ok, ok, sorry I asked." Kitsuchi said turning back to the fight. Zaku suddenly turned his attention back to Shino.

"Who do you think you're talking to?! You wanna see a "backup plan"? Then how about…this!" I gasped as Zaku pulled his right arm out of its sling.

"What, he can use his right arm?!" Kiba yelled.

"Apparently. I guess he was just pretending that his right arm was still broken so that when he was trapped in a situation like this he could easily get out of it without having to overexert himself or give up just to get out of it." Kitsuchi explained.

"Yeah it seems you're right Kistuchi." I nodded agreeing with her. We all watched in suspense while waiting for Zaku to make his attack. He was just about to use his "air cutter" when suddenly his arms exploded. His left arm fell to the side shattered, while his right arm completely dismembered from the rest of the body. Shino suddenly appeared behind Zaku.

"Just now while I was giving you all those helpful little hints, my small friends were slowly walking towards you and crawling through the tunnels that you use to create your air cutting winds. While keeping you distracted they could easily make their ways into those tunnels, completely clogging them so you couldn't use _either_ of your arms. That, my friend, is a true backup plan. My ace in the hole." Shino punched Zaku in the face and Zaku flew back. He landed on the ground and didn't move. Hayate walked over to Zaku and checked him over.

"He's finished." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except for me. I personally didn't want bug boy to pass to the next round, because that could mean that I might have to face him, and even though I really wanted to squash his bugs, he's an extremely good fighter and uses those bugs to his advantage.

"How did he control those bugs like that? Neji do you know?" Rock Lee asked. Neji did a few hand signs and then the veins around his eyes suddenly started to bulge. He stared straight at Shino and gasped.

"Incredible, I thought he used a summoning jutsu to control the bugs but, his whole body's infested with them!" I shivered at the thought of all those creeping bugs crawling around inside me.

"What?! But how is that possible?!" Lee asked astonished.

"There's a legend in Konoha about a clan of beetle masters…" Lee's sensei, who looked like he could easily be Lee's dad, trailed off.

"Yes now that you mention it, I have heard some things about the clan of beetle masters. I've heard that as soon as they're born, members of the clan immediately become nests for those crawling bugs. The beetle-masters enter a contract with the bugs where the bugs do as their masters say, fighting battles and bending to their master's will, but in return the bugs are allowed to live inside their masters, slowly consuming their master's chakra for food."

"And you're telling me that Shino Aburame is a member of this clan?!" Lee exclaimed.

"So it would seem." Neji replied. I sighed and turned back to look at Hayate. At least Shino's fight was finally over. The medical ninja had just lifted Zaku onto a stretcher and were pulling him out of the arena.

"The winner is Shino Aburame." Hayate announced. Shino slowly made his way up the stairs to join his teammates.

"Man, when did Shino get to be so tough?!" Naruto demanded.

"He's always been creepy but I never imagined he was that good." Sakura commented.

"Please, anyone who uses bugs to fight is never good, and they're more than just 'creepy'." I said shivering again.

"What's her problem?" Naruto asked. I glared at him but he ignored me.

"She's afraid of bugs." Kitsuchi told him with a shrug.

"I am _not_ afraid of bugs, I just hate them, I hate all of them! They all need to just pile under a rock so that I can stamp on that rock and kill them all!" Naruto stared at me.

"Is she always like this?" He asked Kitsuchi.

"Most of the time, yes." I glared at them as Shino finally reached the rest of his team.

"So, uh, Shino…that was really…good." Hinata said with a small smile.

"Yeah, way to go." Kiba congratulated.

"No big deal, just make sure you two don't let the rest of the team down." Kiba suddenly stopped smiling and glared at Shino. Kitsuchi quickly stepped in.

"That was a great match Shino, you definitely deserve that win." She told him with a smile.

"Thank you." He replied. He stared at Kitsuchi for a while longer. Kitsuchi then slowly made her way back over to me.

"Ok that guy scares me. Because of those glasses of his I can't tell what he's thinking." She said with a sigh. I smiled.

"I told you he was a freak." I started to look around. Another match was over and Ayane was still nowhere to be seen. Where in the world was she?

-Ayane-

I helped Sasuke down the long, black corridor. Kakashi was leading us straight ahead.

"You can let me walk you know. I'm not that badly beaten up." Sasuke suddenly said. I looked at him. Even though he was leaning on my shoulder he was still taller than me. I never noticed his height until now. I also suddenly noticed that Sasuke was _on_ my shoulder. I looked away and stared at the ceiling, my face a bright red.

"Are you sure you can walk?" I asked without looking back at him.

"Yes."

"If you say so." He lifted his arm over my head and I let him go. He took a couple of steps forward before he stumbled. I quickly caught him and helped him back up. I couldn't help but pull a sly smile.

"I thought you could walk by yourself?" He turned away from me.

"Shut up." I chuckled at Sasuke's dismay. We continued down the hall and fell into an awkward silence. I opened my mouth to say something but Sasuke spoke before I could.

"Kakashi-sensei where are we going?" He demanded.

"I told you we were going to seal those curse marks of yours." Kakashi replied without turning back.

"I know that, I meant _where_ are we going to do that?" Sasuke demanded firmly.

"A secret room just a little further ahead. Just be patient, at least Ayane was nice enough to carry you, and she hasn't complained even once." I blushed. The truth was I had nothing to complain about. Sasuke was surprisingly light for a boy. We again fell into a deep silence. After awhile I couldn't stand it anymore and turned to face Sasuke.

"You fought really well. I've never seen moves like that before." Sasuke looked at me and a tinge of red filled his cheeks.

"Yeah well, you did pretty good yourself. I suppose."

"You 'suppose'? Excuse me _Sasuke_ but who was it that won her fight with only a few scratches? And who was the one who came out barely able to walk on his own two feet?" I asked annoyed. Sasuke glared at me.

"And who was the one who actually knocked out his opponent and didn't just force her own opponent to quit?!"

"Please you know that _I_ could have easily defeated her I was just trying to control the curse mark from taking over me, unlike some people!"

"Hey I did control the curse mark!"

"Only because _I_ had to yell like crazy at you to stop!"

"Please I could have handled myself without _you_ there any day."

"You know what Sasuke I've had enough of your attitu-"

"Children you can stop bickering already, we're here." Kakashi intersected. He led us into a large, dark room. There was nothing in it except for thick pillars that came out of the floor and reached the ceiling. Kakashi walked a little farther into the room and we followed behind. He came to a stop in what seemed to be the middle of the room and took out ten kunai. He traced a large circle on the floor and then traced a smaller circle inside the larger circle. He took six of the kunai. He placed one on the edge of the smaller circle near the center of the circle and another one exactly opposite it. He then placed another two near the top at the edge of the smaller circle and then placed another two kunai exactly opposite those so that the four kunai shaped a square. He then took the remaining four kunai and made the same square shape on the outer edge of the larger circle.

"Ok Sasuke I need you to take off your shirt and sit in the middle of the smaller circle." I brought Sasuke over to the middle of the smaller circle and sat him down. He then took his shirt off and threw it to the side. I felt my face go bright red and looked away trying to hide my embarrassment as much as I could while also trying to avert my eyes. For some reason looking at Sasuke's bare upper torso made me very nervous. I took a deep breath and waited for the ritual to be over. Kakashi quickly stabbed a kunai into his hand and allowed his blood to drip down his index and middle fingers. Then using his blood he began to write symbols. He wrote them in nine lines all leading to the curse mark on Sasuke's neck. The nine lines spanned out around Sasuke and formed a eight pointed star.

"There, done. Now Sasuke I need you to sit still." Kakashi commanded.

"Yeah, yeah." Sasuke replied. Kakashi did an array of hand signs and then pressed his hand on the curse mark.

"Fujahoin! Sealing of the Curse!" Sasuke tensed and cringed in pain. The lines of writing began to move into the curse mark. I had seen sealings done before, but this was incredible. Sasuke continued to cringe and yell out in pain. Finally the last symbol went into the curse mark and Kakashi raised his hand. The curse mark was still visible, only it now had an elaborate circle around it that had the same design as the symbols before.

"There, now Sasuke this Fujahoin sealing will contain the curse marks power should it awaken again. But Sasuke you must understand, that technique is only as powerful as your own will. You have to _want_ it to work and you have to believe in your own power to control it. Unless you do that the curse could take control of you again. This goes for you as well Ayane." Kakashi explained. I nodded and so did Sasuke. Then Sasuke began to wobble and he passed out in the middle of the circle.

"I've never seen Sasuke this worn out before, it's not like him. Ayane can you quickly move him while I prepare your sealing?" I nodded and quickly walked over to Sasuke. I picked him up under the arms and dragged him over to one of the pillars. Another feeling of nervousness swept over me as I felt Sasuke's bare skin on my hands. I felt my face flush again as I lightly placed him against the pillar. I had to admit, Sasuke was a good-looking guy, and the fact that he couldn't talk was an added bonus. I smiled to myself at the thought. Suddenly Sasuke started to shiver slightly. He must be freezing in this cold room with no shirt on. I looked around but couldn't see his shirt anywhere. I sighed and took off my over shirt. I placed it as tightly as I could around him to try and keep him warm. I rubbed my arms as a shiver went down my spine. With only my thick fishnet shirt on now _I_ was freezing. I smiled and turned to leave when I heard Sasuke shifting around. When I turned back I was shocked to see him snuggled into the shirt trying to keep warm. I smiled down at him. He was so cute when he was asleep. Suddenly Sasuke took a deep breath and a small smile crossed his face.

"Ayane…" He whispered softly and slowly fell back into a deep sleep. I stood dumbfounded. I had never heard Sasuke say my name like that before, and never would I have imagined he would say it _in his dreams_! I felt my face flush. Sasuke…was dreaming…about me. My face went an even brighter red. I quickly turned around and walked back over to Kakashi. I was about to round one of the pillars when an all too familiar voice filled the room.

"Well, well, well, it seems Kakashi has mastered the art of sealing. It seems you're all grown up now." Kakashi tensed.

"You're…!"

"It's been a long time."

"Orochimaru…"

"Pardon my rudeness Kakashi but I'm not here for you. I'm actually here for the Uchiha boy…and Ayane." I tensed.

"Ayane?" Kakashi asked confused.

"Yes Ayane, would you please come out from hiding?" I took a deep breath and took a step forward. Orochimaru smiled.

"Ah yes, there she is, hiding like a scared kitten as always." I glared at Orochimaru but no matter how brave I tried to make myself look it couldn't help the fact that my entire body was shaking. Kakashi continued to look from me to Orochimaru completely confused. Orochimaru smiled.

"Ayane has still kept her secret well hidden I see."

"'Secret'?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, Ayane why don't you tell Kakashi, he's just dying to know." I glared at Orochimaru and refused to say a word, though I knew he would tell Kakashi anyway. Orochimaru sighed.

"Kakashi I'm afraid you'll have to excuse my stubborn daughter. Her manners are a bit lacking." Kakashi's face filled with shock.

"Daughter?!" I sighed.

"Yes, Orochimaru is my _biological_ father, but I will never consider him my _real_ father. Orochimaru is dead to me." I replied coolly. Orochimaru smiled and put his hand up to his heart.

"Ayane, dear, you're going to hurt my feelings." I glared at him and his smile faded.

"Very well, it seems that you need another attitude adjustment. Spending all that time with those barbarians you call friends has tainted you completely. However before we leave I'm afraid I also need Sasuke." I tensed but didn't move. A single flinch would signal to Orochimaru where Sasuke was. Kakashi took a protective stance.

"Ayane come stand behind me." He whispered. I nodded and stood behind Kakashi like he asked. I knew Kakashi had no chance against Orochimaru, even if he was a jonin, Orochimaru was one of the three great ninja, one of the sanin, and Kakashi had no chance if Orochimaru decided to attack.

"What do you want with Sasuke?" Kakashi asked glaring at Orochimaru. Orochimaru's sick smile returned.

"You know how it is. Two guys have something, and the third one's just got to have it too." Kakashi stared at Orochimaru with a puzzled look in his eyes. Orochimaru's smile brightened.

"You haven't had it quite so long yourself Kakashi, know what it is yet?" Kakashi tensed and from the look in his eyes I knew he had figured it out. Before Kakashi could answer Orochimaru spoke out.

"It's the Sharingan! You see, I must posses Uchiha blood."

"What for?!" Kakashi demanded.

"The newly created village of Otogakure, that is my home…so tell me Kakashi, is it becoming clear?" Kakashi tensed. I looked from Orochimaru and then back to Kakashi and took another small step behind him.

"So it's your greed, and delusions of grandeur."

"I suppose you could say that. Good help is very hard to find these days, and I need all sort of pawns at my disposal, and a princess to help me control them." Orochimaru glanced down at me as he finished his sentence.

"So you believe that you are King, Ayane is your princess, and that Sasuke is one of your pawns?"

"Oh, Sasuke is a very special pawn, a real keeper. Those other boys are…disposable." I tensed. Finally everything was falling into place. I now knew exactly why Orochimaru was so determined to have Sasuke. I was his weapon, and Sasuke was…was… I stopped myself. Even the thought of it made my skin crawl. Kakashi suddenly bent over and put his left hand on his upper right arm and pushed his right arm close to the ground.

"Stay away from them!" Kakashi yelled. Suddenly Kakashi's hand began to glow with a bright blue chakra. It sparked and flashed like a small ball of lightning in his hand. It was a technique I had never seen before, and it was amazingly powerful.

"Even if you are one of _those_ three ninja, the man I am today can take you down!" Suddenly Orochimaru smiled and a chilling laugh escaped his lips. A cold shiver ran down my spine and I began to shake again.

"What's so funny?!" Kakashi demanded.

"You say one thing, and then do another." Orochimaru replied.

"What?!"

"The curse binding seal you placed on Sasuke was futile. When a heart is sufficiently focused in its desires, then for good or evil the end will justify any means. Sasuke posses such a heart, the heart of an avenger. Ayane, on the other hand, possesses the heart of a warrior, though she uses that power for good instead of using it for what she truly desires."

"'Truly desires'?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, though to you she seems a frail girl who needs protecting, but deep down Ayane is a ruthless killer. A true ninja who will and can kill anyone she pleases. That is why I spent endless hours training her, to become the true ninja she is, but her filthy mother changed her. Made her soft, made her weak, made it impossible for me to continue to draw out the true Ayane. Ayane desires power and has a strong lust for blood and destruction. That is why I can't allow you to seal her curse mark. Her will to be good and fight for others has overpowered her desire to kill. If you seal her mark she will forever be unaffected by the mark's power, but if left unchecked, the power will take her over and she will become what she was always meant to be, a weapon that only has one purpose, to kill all those who stand in her way. You saw the way she ruthlessly attacked that girl from Kirigakure in her preliminary fight. You saw the lust for blood in her eyes. _That_ is the true Ayane, not the girl who is standing behind you." I stared at Orochimaru. A blank expression plastered on my face. My shaking had stopped; in fact it seemed to me like my entire body had stopped working all together. Kakashi turned to look at me and I didn't return his questioning glance. However hard I tried to deny it, Orochimaru was right. I was a weapon hidden inside the body of a sweet, quiet girl who acted like her whole life was nothing but sunshine and rainbows, but that wasn't me. My life was dark and depressing. My mother was dead, killed by the man she once loved. My father was a power hungry dictator who wished for nothing more than absolute power. I had no other family, I constantly lied about who I really was, and kept secrets from everyone. I refused to get close to anyone and to me everyone was a stranger just waiting to stab me in the back. No matter how hard I tried to hide it, I was practically dead inside. The only light still left for me, were Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and the friends I had made here in Konohagakure.

Kakashi turned away from me and stared back at Orochimaru, trying to forget what he had just heard.

"Sasuke's not who you seem to think he is, Sasuke's no-" Orochimaru suddenly turned and began to walk back through the room.

"A day will come when he…_they_ will seek me out, hungry for power. Until then I ask you to not lay a hand on my _precious_ daughter, oh, and I believe you were also offering to kill me. Care to try? Or are you all talk?" Suddenly Kakashi tensed and his eyes suddenly grew wide with terror. He dropped his hands to his side as Orochimaru slowly disappeared into the darkness. Kakashi began to pant heavily and he narrowed his eyes. He glared at the spot where Orochimaru had just disappeared. I continued to stare straight ahead, afraid to move incase Orochimaru decided to turn around and fight with Kakashi. I felt a hand go on my shoulder, but I still didn't move. A voice rang out, but it sounded muddled, like I was listening to it while underwater.

"…yane?" It sounded out again, louder.

"Ayane?" I suddenly burst back into reality. Kakashi was shaking my shoulder with a worried expression on his face.

"Ayane are you ok?" He asked worried.

"Y-yes I'm fine." Suddenly my legs gave out beneath me and I slid to the floor.

"Ayane you're paler then a ghost, are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine! Stop worrying so much!" I snapped. I began to shake and had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself. Kakashi waited patiently without saying a word. I liked that about Kakashi. He listened when he needed to, and spoke only when necessary. After a few more breaths I slowly stood back up. I sighed.

"Sorry I snapped at you Kakashi, I didn't mean it."

"I understand. That seemed to be a very stressful moment for you, but I have to know, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because the information concerning me and Orochimaru is irrelevant."

"Irrelevant?! Ayane that man is-"

"Evil, deceitful, greedy, insane? Yes I already know all of that but tell me something Kakashi, do you really believe that if I could choose I'd choose him as my father?" Kakashi stared at me shocked.

"Of course not, I mean who-"

"Then stop looking at me as if I want Orochimaru to rule over me the way he does. I've hated Orochimaru ever since the day he killed my mother. He is the only person in this world who I have wished death upon but no matter how hard I wished, there he still stands alive and well. The reason I choose not to admit that he is my father is because I believe that by admitting it I am giving him permission to treat me the way he does. To him I am a tool, nothing but a weapon he only has to sharpen and use to rule the world. I refuse to be treated like that just because of the power I have. Yes, Orochimaru is my father, but never will I openly admit it to anyone, not even to Lord Hokage himself." Kakashi's eyes filled with sympathy, and I thanked him for it with a small smile.

"Well, with that said, I believe we better get Sasuke to the hospital and then return to the matches before everyone starts to miss us."

"Kakashi?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"I know you have a duty, and that you will continually stick to it, but just this once, could you please not tell anyone about my secret? I've kept it hidden so long that for it to be told now feels like I've wasted all that effort." Kakashi's eyes closed and his eyebrows raised meaning that he was smiling.

"I promise Ayane that I will not tell a soul about what has happened down here." I smiled gratefully and bowed in thanks. Kakashi smiled and patted my head. He then walked over to where I had dragged Sasuke and lifted him off the ground. He walked back over to me and smiled.

"I think I better carry him this time." I smiled brightly and Kakashi led me out of the dark room and towards the hospital.

I had never been so happy to see the sun before. Being in that dark room for so long had made me miserable and depressed, but the sun filled me with joy and energy. I followed closely behind Kakashi as he carried Sasuke to the hospital. I smiled to myself as I looked at Sasuke covered with a pink shirt that was the only thing keeping him warm. Before we had left we did find Sasuke's shirt, but Kakashi thought Sasuke looked more comfortable in mine. When I asked what we were going to do with it Kakashi grabbed the shirt and threw it over my head. I tried to get out of it but Kakashi said it looked better on me anyway.

I attempted to adjust the sleeves for the fifth time in a row. Sasuke's shirt was too big for me. The sleeves went just past my elbows and it fell far past my waist. Without the broader shoulders to hold it up the neck fell to one side and my shoulder was visible. We finally made it to the hospital and as soon as we walked through the door doctors were all over us. Kakashi quickly shooed them away and gave out instructions.

"Sasuke needs to be placed in I.C.U. and I'll need a black ops team guarding him at all times. The only ones I want visiting him are myself, the doctors, and this girl here. Her name is Ayane Kikuchi." I stared at Kakashi shocked.

"Me?!"

"Yes you. Whose face do you really think Sasuke wants to see when he wakes up? Besides you and I are the only one's who know about the curse mark and I need to keep it monitored at all times, understand?" My face flushed and I quickly nodded my head trying to hide it. Kakashi gave a satisfied smile and slowly laid Sasuke onto a stretcher as it arrived for him. We made sure that the black ops team was in place before we left and then made our way back to the arena. Before we went in the doors Kakashi grabbed my shoulder and before I knew it we were back on the balcony.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled as the smoke around us cleared.

"Yo, how's it going?"

"It's great! The fights have been so awesome! Oh hey Ayane I didn't see you there…why are you hiding behind Kakashi-sensei?" I poked my head out from behind Kakashi and smiled.

"Oh, no reason." I then went right back to hiding again. I slapped my forehead. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have gotten my shirt back before coming here! Now all I have to wear is Sasuke's shirt! I'm never going to hear the end of it from Kitsuchi and Sutaru, and I don't even want to think about what Sakura and Ino are going to do to me!_ I thought to myself.

"What do you mean 'yo, how's it going'?! Kakashi-sensei where's Sasuke, is he alright?!" I heard Sakura ask.

"Oh don't worry about him, he's sound asleep in the hospital." Kakashi replied. I heard Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"Ayane, do you think you could come out from behind me now?" Kakashi suddenly asked. I looked at him and quickly shook my head.

"Because you had to rush everything I didn't get a chance to get my shirt back, and if you think I'm facing everyone in Sasuke's shirt you are absolutely insane!" I whispered back to him.

"Oh, I see." Kakashi turned around to face me. Suddenly he fell forward, putting his hand on my back and pushing me forward. I flew into the rails and almost fell over them. I quickly turned around and glared at Kakashi.

"Kakashi what're you doing?!" He put his hand on the back of his head and smiled.

"Whoops, sorry I can be so clumsy sometimes." I glared at him until I could feel it. All those menacing and questioning stares slowly finding me. I was in the middle of the balcony, wearing Sasuke's shirt, and Kakashi had just made a scene so everyone's attention was automatically turned to me.

"Kakashi I'm going to kill you." I whispered under my breath.

"Hey Ayane you're back." I tensed.

"Oh no, not now." I whispered. Kitsuchi and Sutaru walked over to me. They suddenly stopped and looked from me, to Kakashi, and back to me again.

"Ayane, where's Sasuke?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Why are you wearing his shirt?" Sutaru continued.

"And why did you arrive _alone_ with Kakashi?" Kitsuchi finished. I felt the stares become stronger. I pushed my two index fingers together.

"Well, uh, you see, we had to um…" Kitsuchi and Sutaru raised their eyebrows and smiled evilly.

"Oh don't worry Ayane we totally understand what's going on." Kitsuchi stated.

"Yeah, we just didn't think you had a thing for older men." Sutaru said. I stared at them shocked.

"'Older men'?!"

"Yeah, obviously Sasuke wasn't good enough for you so you had Kakashi kill him. You then took his shirt as a trophy from Kakashi, so now that Sasuke's out of the way you two can finally be together. How much of an age difference is that?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Fourteen years." Sutaru answered. My mouth hung open.

"What the hell?! What are you guys talking about?!" I demanded, my face growing redder every second.

"Don't worry Ayane, we'll keep your secret safe from everyone." Sutaru winked at me.

"No guys you have it all wrong! Sasuke had to take his shirt off for the ritual!" I tried to explain. Their eyes grew wide.

"'The ritual' eh? I didn't know you were into blood rituals Ayane and you had to take his shirt off too? Just what the heck were you doing down there." Sutaru asked. I shook my head.

"No that's not what I meant!"

"Nice try Ayane, but you can't pull one over on us that easily." Kitsuchi said putting her arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, we totally get where you're coming from, but I think you need to rethink you're taste in men. Ones usually around your age would do nicely." Sutaru put her arm around my shoulders as well.

"But, no you guys…you don't…oh what's the point." I said sighing. Sutaru and Kitsuchi hugged me and smiled.

"Calm down, we're just kidding." Sutaru said.

"But really Ayane, why are you wearing Sasuke's shirt?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Yes Ayane, I think we all want to know." I turned around to see both Sakura and Ino standing behind me with the darkest glares on their faces I had ever seen in my life.

"Now, now children this is not the time to argue they're about to announce the next match." Kakashi quickly cut in. Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I quickly ran over to Ryuunosuke-sensei while Ino and Sakura were momentarily distracted.

"Man I thought they were going to rip you apart!" Kitsuchi said laughing.

"So did I. Man this is gonna be a hard one to explain." I said while looking down at the shirt.

"So why are you wearing Sasuke's shirt?" Kitsuchi asked again.

"Well, Kakashi took me and Sasuke down into this room to seal the curse marks. Sasuke went first and for it to work properly he had to take his shirt off. After his sealing was over he passed out. I dragged him over to a pillar and sat him up but when I did he started to shiver so I gave him my shirt to keep warm because I couldn't find his in the dark. Anyway, after everything we left to head to the hospital and before I could stop him Kakashi threw Sasuke's shirt over my head. I went along with it and I was going to change into my old shirt when we got to the hospital, but we left before I could get it, so now I'm kind of stuck." I explained.

"So your curse mark is sealed?!" Sutaru asked excitedly. I slowly shook my head.

"No, unfortunately we were…_interrupted_."

"'Interrupted'? By who?" I bent in close so that only the three of us could hear.

"Orochimaru." Kitsuchi and Sutaru gasped.

"You mean he's here?!" Kitsuchi said.

"Yes, but I don't know where. I definitely know he's with Otogakure though."

"Man, this is bad. If he can get through the tight security even into the chunin exam then there's no stopping him." Sutaru stated.

"Don't remind me." I quickly said.

"Misumi Tsurugi versus Kankuro, would those two contestants please make their way to the arena floor for your match." We all looked up as Kankuro, the Sunagakure shinobi who threatened Konohamaru, walked down to the arena. He was quickly met by a Konohagakure shinobi who belonged to Kabuto's team.

"You may begin." Hayate said. The two shinobi smiled and began to fight. The match suddenly reminded me.

"Hey, how many matches have I missed?" I asked.

"Only one. It was that Shino kid against Zaku from Otogakure." Sutaru said. I remember Shino only as the boy who had a weird affection for bugs. Zaku was the scumbag who tried to kidnap me and the guy whose arms Sasuke broke.

"Who won?" I asked.

"Shino did. Oh, it was so awesome Ayane you should have seen it! Shino totally used his bugs and they crawled into those wind tunnels of Zaku's so when he went to use that air cutter thing it totally destroyed his arms! One of them even came clean off!" Kitsuchi explained. I smiled slightly.

"Sorry I missed it." We turned back to see that some kind of puppet had wrapped itself around Misumi and Kankuro controlled it so it broke every bone in Misumi's body, except for the neck. The loud crack made Sutaru cringe, she hated it when people cracked any part of their body.

"So he's a puppet master, that's pretty cool." I said.

"Due to Misumi's inability to fight, Kankuro is the winner!" Hayate announced.

"Two against one?! Isn't that cheating Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto demanded.

"No Naruto, not in this case. That's technically not another person but some kind of puppet." Kakashi explained.

"It's the art of the puppet master. He enforces a lifeless doll with his own chakra, giving it the ability to move and basically fight for him, though it is nothing more than a weapon like a normal shuriken or kunai." Sakura explained.

"Anyways, it's time for the fifth match." Hayate coughed again. The names began to flash on the board.

"Wow, this is like a never ending freak-show." Naruto said.

"Look who's talking." Kakashi teased. Sakura laughed.

"Good one sensei."

"Oh I wouldn't be laughing if I were you Sakura." Sakura looked at Kakashi puzzled. Kakashi pointed at the name board.

"Look."

"Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka, would those two please come down to the arena." Sakura and Ino were tense as they walked down the balcony steps. They each managed to throw me an evil glare before they went down which didn't help me any. They reached the arena floor and glared at each other.

"Wow, I didn't think those two would face each other." Kitsuchi said.

"Yeah, complete rivals and here they are fighting each other for a spot in the third part of the chunin exam. What are the chances?" Sutaru asked. I smiled.

"I don't know quite what the chances are, but I know for a fact that this is going to be a very interesting and entertaining fight." Kitsuchi and Sutaru smiled and looked down at the two kunoichi. I smiled to myself. _Yes, this was going to be a _very_ interesting fight.  
_


	14. Chapter 13: Kitsuchi's Fight Begins

**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Rivals Battle Ends and Kitsuchi's Fight Finally Begins!**

We stood in complete silence. Sakura and Ino were still glaring at each other.

"When you two are ready you may begin." Hayate said and backed away. Ino stared at Sakura and sighed.

"So Sakura, it's me and you going head to head. I have to admit I didn't see this coming." Without even answering Ino Sakura undid her head band. Then with one quick motion she pulled it from her head.

"What is Sakura doing?" Naruto asked. No one answered him. Everyone was too caught up in the tense moment.

"Of all people for Ino to go up against it just had to be Sakura." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, do you think Ino will be ok?" Choji asked.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked. The way they both said it, it sounded like they were worried about something other than the fight.

"Oh that's right, you guys just got here so you wouldn't know, but Ino and Sakura used to be best friends." Shikamaru explained. Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and I stared completely dumbfounded.

"You're kidding?!" Sutaru blurted out.

"No Shikamaru's not lying. Ino and Sakura were best friends. They were practically inseparable for a long time. Until…" Choji trailed off.

"Until what?" I asked.

"Until they both found out that the other was in love with Sasuke." I tensed feeling everyone's eyes slowly drift towards me. When I looked around I even noticed some people turn their attention away.

"They destroyed their friendship over a guy?!" Kitsuchi asked completely shocked. Choji nodded his head.

"Sasuke is also the reason Sakura and Ino grew their hair out. They heard a rumour that Sasuke liked girls with long hair, so when Sakura cut her hair we were all completely shocked." I nodded and turned back to the two girls glaring at each other. They had both been best friends since they were small, and then that entire friendship was destroyed just because they both loved the same boy. I held back the tears that were threatening to form any second now. The idea of a close friendship being destroyed over such a simple thing as that saddened me. If something as small as that could break up a strong friendship, what else could cause something that special to fall apart? I turned as Sakura spoke out.

"Understand this Ino, I'm not letting you anywhere near Sasuke." I tensed as it felt like that comment wasn't just directed at Ino.

"What?!" Ino asked obviously shocked at Sakura's attitude.

"Besides you're not even his type. I'm not the needy, crybaby I used to be. You're not even on my radar anymore Ino." Ino's face reddened with anger.

"Sakura I think you've forgotten who you're talking to! Don't you dare cop an attitude with me you crybaby!" Ino yelled. I looked over when I noticed Naruto shake.

"Wow I think Sakura just crossed a line with Ino. Man she scares me senseless. Why the heck would Sakura want to make Ino mad like that?" Naruto asked.

"Hmm, Sakura's not throwing her weight around and she's not the one to make fun of someone to be cruel. I think she's trying to get Ino riled up so that she won't take it easy on Sakura. I suppose it's for old time's sake."

"Yeah but what the heck are they getting so intense about this for?" Naruto asked.

"Well Naruto rivalry is tricky like that, not that I would know." At that comment Might Guy threw Kakashi a quick glare. I smiled. Kakashi didn't seem to realize just how much of a rival he was to Guy. Suddenly Ino took her headband off from around her waist. At the same time Ino and Sakura took their headbands and tied them around their foreheads. With that single move they were proving that they were ready to fight as equals. They suddenly ran at each other. Sakura made a few hand signs preparing to use the art of the doppelganger jutsu. It was an easy enough attack to avoid, until Sakura suddenly filled her feet with chakra allowing her to charge forward. Ino's face filled with shock. She wasn't expecting Sakura to pull a move like that. Sakura then ran at Ino, pulled her fist back, and hit Ino right in the face with a punch that was pushed forward with all her weight behind it. Ino flew backwards and landed a few feet away from Sakura.

"I may have been a crybaby back when we were kids but look who's crying now? Come on Ino, stop holding back! I know you are better than this!" Ino slowly sat up and wiped her bleeding lip.

"If that's the way you want to play then that's fine by me." She said. She slowly stood back up.

"Wow just look at Sakura go she's so awesome!" Naruto commented with a bright smile on his face.

"Well Sakura always was a solid contender. Her mastery of the fundamental techniques for utilizing and manipulating chakra is definitely the best among the rookies." Kakashi explained.

"Is she even better than me?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, definitely better than you. The technical art of circulating chakra to every part of the body and deploying it with precise timing is an area in which Sakura has even surpassed Sasuke. Right from the beginning Sakura's ability to manipulate chakra has been incredible." Kakashi told Naruto. Naruto's face fell when he was told Sakura was better than him, but it was true. Her ability to manipulate and utilize chakra the way she did was amazing.

Suddenly Sakura and Ino ran at each other. They both struck at each other and both blocked the attack. Sakura blocked Ino's punch while Ino blocked Sakura's punch. They stood in a standstill trying to overpower each other. When neither could win they let go and both jumped backward. They pulled out one shurikan each and threw them at each other. The shurikan collided in midair and fell to the ground.

"This is incredible. It's like they both know what the other's going to do right away." Kitsuchi stated.

"Well that's what happens when you've known someone for so long, you start to pick up on their skills and you learn ways in which to beat them with it. Only problem is, Ino and Sakura are so evenly matched that this fight will probably last awhile." Sutaru said. I sighed and sat down.

"Might as well get comfy, like Sutaru said, this could take awhile."

It had been ten minutes and the fight was still going on. Everyone was watching intently as the two kunoichi continued to throw punches at each other. Suddenly they both turned and put their weight behind their own punches. This time both punches met the others' face and they were both sent flying back. They slowly sat back up and were panting.

"Man how much longer is this fight going to last? I'm getting bored." Kitsuchi complained.

"It shouldn't be much longer. Look at how tired they already are and it's only been ten minutes. Neither has much when it comes to stamina." Sutaru pointed out. I nodded in agreement. To fight for ten minutes and already be practically falling over was not a very agreeable trait when you want to be a ninja, but even so, this fight was beginning to get exciting.

"It's impossible! There's no way you can be my equal! This isn't right!" Ino complained.

"Hmph, I suppose you are right. The magnitude of your obsession with your long hair and spotless appearance are far greater than my own. I'm just no match for you." Sakura said sarcastically. They both stood up and Ino glared menacingly.

"_You_ are making fun of _me_?! That's it Sakura, now you've gone too far!"

"Ino is such an idiot! Letting what Sakura say get to her like that is the stupidest thing she could possibly do!" Shikamaru said and shook his head.

"I don't like seeing Ino this way." Choji said and his face fell. Suddenly Ino pulled out a kunai. She grabbed her ponytail with the other hand and held it up. She then took the kunai and placed it under the ponytail. With a single slash Ino's hair was cut. She held the ponytail in her hand.

"You see this _long_ hair of mine?! It means nothing to me!" She screamed and threw the hair in front of her. It fell across the floor in small piles of blond.

"Wow, Ino is really scary." Naruto said and shook slightly. Sakura just continued to stand there, smiling the entire time. Ino then made the Tora (tiger) hand sign.

"That's it! I've had enough of you Sakura! I'm going to make your lips say 'I give up'!"

"What? How the heck is she going to do that?" I asked.

"Wait, don't tell me…she wouldn't actually…" Shikamaru stuttered.

"She's definitely thinking about it." Choji said.

"Thanking about what? What are you guys talking about?" I asked.

"That's right Ayane was unconscious when Ino first used her Mind Transfer Jutsu. It's a special jutsu that Ino uses. She basically sends her own soul into the body of her enemy and can control it from there. Only problem is that whatever happens to the body she is possessing happens to Ino's real body." Sutaru explained.

"Wow…" I replied.

"That girl is such an idiot." Ino's sensei, Asuma, said.

"I understand your impatience Ino, but you're wasting your time." Sakura said with a smirk.

"We'll see about that Sakura!" Ino yelled back.

"Ino I can already see what you're planning. You're going to use your Mind Transfer Jutsu. Using that jutsu all of your physical and spiritual energy is transferred from your body to your enemies. You then take over and can control the person's thoughts and movements. While you posses the body of your enemy they are completely helpless and you can do whatever it is you want with them. However, as impressive as that jutsu is, it still has its flaws. First of all, that bolt of mental energy can only move in a straight, direct path and it moves very slowly. Secondly, if that mental energy should miss its target, it is unable to return to the attacker's body for several minutes. During that time your body remains limp and completely helpless. You'll be as vulnerable as a rag doll." Sakura smiled wickedly.

"So what if it has that many flaws?! No one will know what will happen here until I try something!"

"You only get one chance though. If you miss me this fight is over. You know this as well as I do." Sakura said shrugging her shoulders. Ino continued to hold the hand sign up. Sakura began to run to the side as Ino pushed her hands forward. Ino slowly fell to her knees. Her body was limp and her head had fallen forward. Sakura's head was also forward.

"Who's who?" Shikamaru asked. I looked between the two kunoichi. Even I couldn't tell what had happened. Suddenly Sakura's head lifted. She had a smile on her face.

"You lose…Ino!" We all gasped. Ino had missed Sakura and was now helpless.

"I guess this fight is over then." Shikamaru sighed.

"I can't believe she actually tried it." Choji said.

"I guess this is done then." Sakura said. She suddenly tensed and looked at her feet. I followed her gaze and was shocked to see that the hair had formed a small rope and had tied itself around Sakura's ankles. The hair was infused with chakra and held Sakura where she was.

"What's going on?!" Sakura demanded. Suddenly we heard laughing and turned to see Ino chuckling to herself.

"Gotcha Sakura! Heh, I set a trap and you fell for it!"

"You don't mean…?"

"Yep, that's right. The hand signs I made before were just a distraction so you wouldn't notice what I was really planning. You ran left and you ran right and you fell right into my trap! Tell me Sakura, can you move at all? I made a living rope with my hair by running chakra through it so I don't think you'll be going anywhere for awhile." Ino smiled and stood to her feet making the same hand signs she did before.

"And now that I've got you right where I want you I can posses your body and finally finish this fight once and for all. I'm pretty sure the odds are in my favour don't you agree?"

"Looks like it." Kakashi said.

"Ino's so crazy. She made it look like she lost in order to package herself a win." Shikamaru said slightly impressed.

"And so, Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino again slumped to the floor. Sakura's head fell forward. We all sat holding our breath wondering if it was really over. Suddenly Sakura started to giggle.

"Too bad…Sakura!" We all gasped. Ino had possessed Sakura's body. There was no way Sakura could get out if this one this time. It seemed her chances had finally run out.

"What?! What just happened?! Why is Sakura acting so weird?! This is the perfect chance for her to beat Ino, why is she just standing there?!" Naruto demanded.

"Naruto, the mental energy from Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu hit Sakura head-on. Sakura's finished."

"Mind Transfer? So you mean Sakura's not…" Rock Lee trailed off.

"Exactly, Sakura's mind has been completely taken over by Ino." Kakashi explained.

"So Ino is inside Sakura?" Naruto asked shocked.

"Yes, in a way it is a little creepy." Sutaru said.

"Yeah, to have someone literally _inside_ you controlling how you move, speak, and act is so weird." Kitsuchi said. She shivered slightly at the thought.

"So seen as Ino can control Sakura her goal is probably to…" Kakashi trailed off as his statement was answered. Sakura began to slowly lift her arm.

"I, Sakura Haruno, wish to withdraw from the match."

"No, don't do it! Come on Sakura don't give up!" Naruto yelled. Sakura's head turned and she cocked an eyebrow. Naruto's attempt to reach Sakura would be in vain.

"You've come so far! If you let yourself be beat by that crazy Sasuke-chaser you'll be a complete disgrace to all women!" Naruto yelled. I laughed. That was taking it a little over the top but it was still funny. Suddenly Sakura twitched and she began to shake. She grabbed her head and was shaking uncontrollably.

"What's wrong? Are you withdrawing from the match or not?" Hayate asked. Suddenly Sakura stopped shaking and had a very determined and angry look on her face.

"No way am I withdrawing! I'm staying right here!" She yelled. We all looked at each other confused. Was Sakura back to her normal self or was Ino still controlling her?

"Ino, if you don't hurry up and get out of my body you're going to regret it!" Sakura yelled. Sakura trembled some more and then put her fingers together.

"Release!" She shouted and Ino's spirit returned to her body. Sakura had done it, she had beaten Ino's jutsu! Both Ino and Sakura were back to normal selves, and both looked worn out.

"I don't get it. There were already two minds there when I came in. What on earth are you?" Ino asked.

"Don't you know anything Ino? Even the sweetest girls need a hard center or they're never going to make it in the real world." Sakura replied with a smile.

"That was amazing! I can't believe Sakura pulled it off." Sutaru said.

"Yeah, but I think that took the last of their strength. This next attack will determine the winner for sure." I said staring intently at the two girls. They both stood to their feet and ran at each other as fast as they could. They brought their fists up and swung as hard as they could at each other. The intensity of the hits was so strong that Ino and Sakura's headbands fell off. They flew back again. They sat back up and glared at each other one last time before they both fell back and completely passed out. Hayate looked from one girl to the other and then raised his hand.

"Neither candidate is able to continue the battle. As a result of a simultaneous knockout, neither combatant will continue on to the third part of the exam."

"What?! That's not even fair!" Kitsuchi complained.

"Yeah, they should both move on to the next round! That was an amazing fight!" Sutaru agreed. Kakashi and Asuma jumped down and picked up the two girls. They jumped back up and sat the girls against the wall. Everyone ran over.

"Sakura, Sakura are you alright?" Naruto asked.

"Hey Ino, you ok?" Shikamaru asked. Kakashi put his finger up to his lips and quieted everyone down. Both Ino and Sakura were fast asleep.

"Neither of them is badly hurt enough to need medical treatment. All they need is some rest and they should both be awake within the next half hour. I have to admit though, I'm proud of both of them." Asuma said with a smile.

"Yeah, Naruto and Sasuke were both doing well, and now even fragile Sakura has shown amazing growth. I know you've all been through a lot but I'm happy we enrolled you in the chunin exams. I mean that from the bottom of my heart." We all turned as the names were chosen for the next fight.

"The two candidates for the sixth match are Tenten and Temari. Would both combatants please come forward?" Temari, the older sister of Gaara and Kankuro, jumped down and stood in front of the girl we had seen near the beginning of the exam. She had bright brown eyes, brown hair tied in two buns at the side of her head, and she wore a traditional pink, Japanese shirt and dark blue Capri pants.

"Well, well, another ninja from Sunagakure, this should be an interesting fight." Neji said with a smirk.

"Woohoo! Go Tenten!" Lee shouted. Suddenly I felt two arms on my shoulders and I was spun around. The two hands then grabbed my own and dragged me away from the arena. They led me into the girls' bathroom and the two people faced me.

"Sutaru, Kitsuchi what are you doing? I want to watch the fight."

"You can figure out what happens after, first we need to know what happened while you down in that basement place. We also want to know why you are really wearing Sasuke's shirt." Kitsuchi explained. I looked down. In all the excitement of Ino and Sakura's fight I had forgotten that I had been wearing Sasuke's shirt in the first place. I sighed.

"Alright fine I'll tell you." I began to explain everything that had happened in the underground area. I made sure that every detail was added in and was forced to tell them about the small scenes between me and Sasuke. I explained right up to where I came back to the arena with Kakashi.

"And that's what happened. That's also why I'm wearing his shirt." I finished. Sutaru and Kitsuchi looked at the floor deep in thought.

"So Orochimaru is definitely decided to come back after all." Sutaru said after a while.

"Yes, but what I don't understand is if Orochimaru wants Sasuke as much as he wants you why would Orochimaru allow Kakashi to seal Sasuke's curse mark?" Kitsuchi asked.

"I think it's because Orochimaru wants to prove the point that Sasuke will search for him. By allowing Sasuke to have his curse mark sealed makes everyone think that Sasuke will be healed. But Orochimaru seems to think that by allowing this to happen Sasuke will miss the power he once had and so search for Orochimaru to get the power back. As far as why Orochimaru is after Sasuke, I don't know." I said.

"Orochimaru just has to be right all the time doesn't he?" Sutaru asked sarcastically.

"Yes, but the fact that Orochimaru is that cocky makes me slightly nervous. Orochimaru wouldn't do something like that unless he knew for a fact that Sasuke would come to him for sure." I replied. Kitsuchi and Sutaru nodded.

"Yes, Orochimaru isn't really one to pass up a good thing if he doesn't think he'll get it. But why would Sasuke go to Orochimaru in the first place? He seems to have everything he could ever want here." Kitsuchi stated.

"No he doesn't have everything he wants." I corrected Kitsuchi.

"He doesn't?" Kitsuchi asked shocked.

"No, Sasuke wants too much power all at once. Konohagakure, however, will not give him the full power he wants right away. Here you have to work to become powerful, but if Sasuke were to go to Orochimaru he would be given the power right away. Sasuke is too power hungry to ignore such a good offer like that."

"But he wouldn't just leave here would he? This is his home, why would he abandon it?" Sutaru asked.

"That's the thing. I don't know if Sasuke actually would, but I'm just saying that there is a possibility that Sasuke will leave Konohagakure to seek out Orochimaru. But I hope that we can change his mind before he makes that decision." I said. Again Kitsuchi and Sutaru nodded. They then began to smile.

"And anyway why would Sasuke want to leave when he has someone like you here Ayane?" Kitsuchi teased.

"Oh come on guys not this again!" I complained.

"Calm down Ayane you know we're just kidding." Sutaru winked at me. I smiled.

"Yeah I know, now let's get back to the arena. If we're lucky we might be able to see the end of Temari and Tenten's fight."

When the three of us finally came back Ino and Sakura were conscious again and Temari and Tenten's fight had just ended.

"The winner of the sixth match is Temari!" Hayate yelled out. I looked down to see that the arena was covered with all sorts of weapons and Tenten was lying on top of Temari's fan. Blood was running down Tenten's face and she was unconscious. Suddenly Lee jumped down as Temari flung Tenten forward. Lee landed and caught Tenten before she hit the ground.

"What's wrong with you?! That is no way to treat a worthy opponent, especially one who you have just defeated!" Lee yelled outraged. Temari laughed.

"Whatever, just get yourself and that loser out of my way." Lee glared at Temari. He laid Tenten down and suddenly ran at Temari. He turned to kick her and she blocked the attack like it was child's play.

"Heh, just as I thought. You're not that fast after all." Suddenly Might Guy jumped down.

"Lee that's enough!"

"Master Guy…" Lee said.

"Temari hurry and get back up here. You've already been declared the winner, how long to you plan to spend trifling with that homely little prince charming?" Everyone's attention turned to Gaara. He was standing with his arms crossed like he usually did. I noticed Sutaru stiffened when he spoke and a weird calm fell over her. Guy walked up to Rock Lee and put his hand on Lee's shoulder.

"My friends from Sand let me give you a piece of advice. Be prepared. You have no idea what this boy can actually do." Suddenly Gaara's glare intensified. He was definitely scary when he got like that.

"He actually picked a fight with those freaks from the sand? If I was in his place I would have run for cover." Kiba suddenly said.

"Y-yeah, they really creep me out." Hinata added.

"Come on, they aren't all that scary." Kitsuchi shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey Kitsuchi have you ever heard the saying, 'Children should be seen and not heard'?" Kitsuchi glared at Kiba.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She demanded.

"You know exactly what I mean!" He yelled back. I sighed. There they went again arguing as always. I turned as I heard a familiar voice sound out.

"Hey Naruto there's no way you're gonna lose to them." Sakura stood beside Naruto looking happy the way she had before.

"S-Sakura? Sakura are you feeling any better?" Naruto asked.

"Oh don't mind me you should be worrying more about yourself. If you lose your own fight you'll be a disgrace to all _men_, and Sasuke will never let you live it down." Sakura said with a smile.

"R-right."

"Hey Naruto, thanks for before. I thought for sure Ino had me, but then I heard your obnoxious voice and that ridiculous battle cry of yours and it brought me back to earth."

"Yeah I really saved your butt." Naruto said. Sakura glared at him and shook her fist. I walked over and hit Naruto on the head.

"Man Naruto you can be so obnoxious sometimes. Hey Sakura that was an awesome fight, you did really well." I smiled at her and she blushed.

"Uh, t-thank you Ayane." I smiled again. Suddenly Sakura's expression changed as she saw what I was wearing. She crossed her arms.

"So Ayane, now that I'm awake why don't you tell me why you're wearing Sasuke's shirt?"

"While you're at it you can explain the same thing to me." Ino suddenly appeared and they both stared at me and crossed their arms. They cocked their eyebrows and waited for my answer.

"Look Ino, Sakura, I swear the way it looks right now is bad but trust me nothing happened. It was just really cold and I couldn't find Sasuke's shirt and…"

"Sasuke was already shirtless?!" They both screamed. I put my hands up defensively.

"Ok that wasn't a good explanation but I swear nothing happened! Hey look they're choosing the names for the next fight!" I said quickly changing the subject. Ino and Sakura turned their backs and I quickly snuck back over to Kitsuchi and Sutaru. Kitsuchi was sulking. It seemed she had lost the fight with Kiba.

"So have they chosen the names yet?" I asked.

"They're about to announce them now." Sutaru said.

"Alright it is definitely my turn! Come on!" Naruto yelled excitedly.

"No, it is my time to fight." Lee said. The names ran across the screen and then stopped on the next people.

"Shikamaru Nara and Kin Tsuchi. Would those two candidates please come to the center of the arena."

"Rats." Naruto complained.

"Aww no fair." Lee said and sighed.

"Me?" Shikamaru asked. He slowly made his way down to the center. I saw a slight smirk cross Sutaru's face. I smiled. She would definitely enjoy this fight.

-Sutaru-

I smiled as Shikamaru's name appeared on the screen. It was about time I saw that lazy butt do _something_ interesting. What I liked even more was the fact that he was fighting that girl from the sound village. Hopefully, he would kick her butt. I quickly turned around and yelled for him.

"Hey Shikamaru?" He stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Yeah?" He asked turning around.

"Good luck. You better not lose." I smiled at him. Shikamaru smiled back.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." He said and made his way down the stairs. I shook my head. That kid had absolutely no manners. He finally made it to the center of the arena and stood opposite Kin. Kitsuchi gasped as she finally realized that Kin was one of the ninja from Otogakure.

"I hope he wipes the floor with her." Kitsuchi said her glare becoming more venomous.

"Who is she, she looks familiar." Ayane said with a confused look on her face.

"Kin is one of the ninja from the Sound Village that tried to kidnap you and Sasuke. She was easily beaten by Ino's Mind Transfer Justu, but was actually taken down by her own teammates, they have absolutely no feelings for each other at all." I explained. Ayane's eyes grew wide and she swallowed hard. Shikamaru sighed.

"This is such a nuisance. I can't believe they expect me to fight a girl."

"If that's really how you feel then I'll be sure to put you out of your misery quickly." Kin replied coldly.

"Shikamaru don't you dare lose to her!" Ino yelled. I heard Ayane breathe a sigh of relief. I suppose she was happy now that at least Ino's attention had been taken off of her and was now on her teammate's fight.

"Begin!" Hayate commanded and jumped back. Shikamaru put his hands together making a familiar hand sign.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru's shadow blasted toward Kin.

"Just as I thought. You're nothing but a one-trick pony. How lame!" She quickly ran to the side avoiding the shadow.

"All I have to do is watch your shadow and dodge it when it comes at me." Suddenly Shikamaru tensed. He quickly jumped up and dodged two senbon needles that were thrown at him. Shikamaru was shocked to see that the needles had bells attached to them. He then turned and smiled at Kin.

"What a tired old trick. I suppose next you'll be throwing your senbon in groups of two, ones with bells and ones without to lead me to thinking that I'm safe once I've dodged the ones I can hear. Then the silent ones are supposed to come and hurt me right?"

"You're chatty aren't you?" Kin said and threw senbon at Shikamaru again. Shikamaru stood ready when he suddenly heard bells ringing from behind him. He turned and tensed as he saw that the bells on the senbon that had missed him before were ringing. Kin had attached a wire to them and had begun ringing them in order to distract Shikamaru. By the time Shikamaru had turned around Kin was already throwing her next senbon.

"Too late!" She smiled. Shikamaru put his arms up to block his face. He was hit with the senbon and fell back.

"Shikamaru!" Ino yelled.

"Once I mastered how to avoid your shadow possession jutsu you never stood a chance. Now to finish you off."

"Man this fight is already over?" Kitsuchi complained. I smiled.

"Not yet."

"What are you talking about Sutaru?" She asked.

"Just watch." Suddenly Kin tensed. She looked down at her feet.

"I-I can't move." She said.

"Perfect, that means that now is the right time to finish my Shadow Possession Jutsu."

"What? But how…?! I can't even see your shadow!"

"Yes it's true. Such delicate little threads so high up, there's no way they could cast shadows. However, I can make my shadow as big, or as little as I want within a few limits." Shikamaru's shadow began to grow larger till it connected Kin directly to him.

"Even pieces of darkness that small are still there and they are made just for me so I can take down idiots like you."

"That's the way Shikamaru! Tell her like it is!" I yelled happily. Shikamaru glanced up at me and smiled. He then turned back to Kin. He went into his carrying case and took out a shurikan. Kin, attached to Shikamaru now, did the same thing.

"Are you an idiot?! If you make us do the same thing then you're going to get hurt too!"

"Tell me something I don't know."

"There's no way you would do something like this! It's a head-on shuriken attack! There's no way you'll hold up for long!" Even though she said those things Shikamaru still threw the shurikan at her.

"No you idiot!" But just as Shikamaru threw the shurikan he began to lean backwards.

"So was he only bluffing?" Kitsuchi asked. This time Ayane smiled.

"Nope, just watch." We watched as Shikamaru flung himself backward. Kin did the same thing, only she was too close to the wall behind her. While Shikamaru fell back into a bridge Kin's head slammed into the concrete wall behind her. We all heard the _smack_ as the back of her head came in contact with the cement. Shikamaru released his shadow possession jutsu and Kin fell to the ground unconscious. Shikamaru flipped back up and smiled.

"Well, that's one down. A shinobi uses everything to his advantage, including the terrain and the architecture. We were both locked into the same movements but only one of us was close enough to the wall to get knocked out by it. The shuriken were just a distraction so you wouldn't realize where you were."

"The winner is Shikamaru Nara!" Hayate declared.

"Alright Shikamaru!" Ino yelled.

"That was awesome." Choji said.

"Wow, I guess he's not as lazy as we once thought." Kitsuchi said with a sigh.

"Nah, I always knew he had it in him anyways." I said with a smirk.

"His ability to read the movements of his opponent and strike with moves like that is incredible. If I'm not over thinking things I would definitely say that guy is a genius strategist." Ayane commented. Kitsuchi and I nodded in agreement. Shikamaru slowly made his way back up the stairs and on to the balcony. I quickly ran over to him.

"Hey Shikamaru nice fight. I guess you _can_ do more then play a good game of shogi." He sighed.

"I win a fight and that's all you can say to me?"

"I guess it is." I replied with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, that whole fight was a drag anyway. Just make sure you don't lose during your fight alright?"

"Oh I don't plan on losing anything anytime soon." I replied.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He said and walked back over to Ino and Choji. Ino practically jumped on Shikamaru in excitement. Choji tried to help him out but Ino was making it very hard for the both of them. I sighed. Poor Shikamaru and Choji had to put up with her all the time. No wonder Shikamaru hates girls.

"Man that guy is so rude. You'd think he would be a little more positive especially since a lovely girl like you gave him such a nice compliment." Kitsuchi said annoyed. I shrugged.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter to me. That's just Shikamaru being Shikamaru."

"But come on! He's being a total lazy snob! I'm sorry Sutaru but I think you can do much better." I stared at her shocked. I could feel my face glowing red.

"Kitsuchi what are you talking about?! I don't…_like_ Shikamaru like that!" She looked at me and cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Sutaru. I would suggest you be careful though, it seems _someone_ will get jealous if you're not careful." I looked at her confused and then she pointed to Gaara. My face went a brighter red.

"Kitsuchi I don't like him either!"

"Yeah, _sure_ you don't." I turned and tried to hide behind her as I saw that Gaara was staring straight at me.

"Sutaru, since when are you shy?" She asked.

"Since every time I have a dream about him he tries to kill me." I replied coldly. Kitsuchi sighed.

"So a guy tries to kill you in your dreams, so what? Man Sutaru you are so fickle."

"If I'm so fickle then why don't you leave me alone and go hang out with Kiba?" I asked. She glared at me and turned to face Gaara again. Then she did something I would never forgive her for. She lifted up her arm, threw me an evil smirk, and waved to Gaara with a bright smile on her face. I swear if I could die at any moment this would be it. I slowly peeked around Sutaru and saw that Gaara's stare had become a dark glare. I quickly hid behind Kitsuchi again.

"I'm going to kill you!" I hissed at her.

"Oh come on, you know he needed that. If he keeps scowling like that he's going to get wrinkles and grow old really fast. And as far as I'm concerned if you ever get the guts to take him for yourself I will _not_ be seen with an old man." I glared darkly at her.

"I swear to God Kitsuchi I am going to haunt your dreams if you do anything else!"

"Kitsuchi aren't you paying attention?!" We both turned to see Ayane running over to where we were.

"No not particularly why?" She asked.

"Look whose name is on the screen!" Kitsuchi quickly looked at the screen. Her face beamed with excitement.

"Would the entrants Kitsuchi Fure and Raidon Kimura please report to the center of the arena."

-Kitsuchi-

I couldn't stop smiling. It was finally _my_ turn, my time to shine! Ayane had her chance but now it was my turn! I quickly turned and walked happily to the stairs. Just as I reached them I turned and smiled evilly at Kiba. I knew he was upset about not being next but as it was custom I had to add some fuel to the fire. Kiba glared darkly at me, then turned and sulked. I smiled to myself knowing that I had won this battle and jumped down the stairs so that I could quickly win the next battle.

I stood across from my opponent. His name was Raidon Kimura. He was another member of the team of shinobi we stole our first scrolls from. He was the tallest of the group and had long, silver hair tied back in a tight ponytail. His chocolate brown eyes glared at me and he crossed his arms across his muscular chest annoyed.

"You're kidding? I have to fight _her_?" He said pointing an accusing finger at me. I put my hands on my hips.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"I can't believe they want me to fight some girl. Can't I fight someone a least a little closer to my skill level?"

"Close to _your_ skill level? Who was it that took the scroll from you within the first day of the exam in the Forest of Death?" I asked. Raidon glared at me but didn't say anything else. I smiled at him and his glare deepened.

"Alright are you two ready?" Hayate asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Raidon replied halfheartedly. I glared at him. His stupid attitude was getting on my nerves.

"Very well, then you may begin." Raidon jumped back. I stood completely still.

"Well are you going to fight me or stand there like the fake little wax doll you are?" He asked with a smirk. I looked down so that he couldn't see my eyes and smiled.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of that cocky bastard attitude of yours. So without your permission, I'm going to wipe that stupid smile right off your face!" I looked up and unsheathed my crescent moon blades while watching the shock fill his stupid, cocky, annoying face.


	15. Chapter 14: Things Worth Fighting For

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Some Things Are Worth Fighting For**

I smiled at Raidon. He was such a…a…_guy_. Thinking that he was superior just because he was _male_. Tch, what an idiot. After slowly getting over the shock of my opening move a slow smile crossed his face.

"Ha, please. You think a couple of pointy pieces of metal scare me? If you want a real weapon I suggest you try one of these." Suddenly Raidon pulled out what looked like a long wooden stick. He then pressed a button and the stick opened into…an _umbrella_?! I looked at his special weapon for two seconds before I burst into a fit of laughter.

"Y-you call t-that a _weapon_?! What are you gonna do? Give it to me in a thunderstorm and hope I get struck by lightning?! You've got to be kidding me!" Raidon glared at me and pointed the top of his umbrella in my direction.

"Laugh all you want but there's no way you're going to be able to beat me as long as I have this. It may look wooden, but it is actually made out of the same metal as those flimsy things you're holding. It's practically indestructible. It also has some secrets that only I know about, and as soon as you figure out what they are this match will be over." Raidon said slightly proud of his weapon. I smirked.

"It will be over, but your name won't be the one called at the end of it." I pointed my sword at him and glared, "because I plan on taking you out right here, right now." Raidon glared at me and placed the umbrella on his shoulder.

"Whenever you're ready sweetheart."

"Hey watch what you say you jerk!" I looked up and saw Kiba practically falling over the balcony rails. I smiled at him. His angry glare suddenly fell. He stood back up on the balcony properly and I could swear I saw a hint of red on his cheeks.

"Now that that's over with, I think I'll make my move." I ran at Raidon and thrust my left sword. Raidon blocked the attack and struck out with his umbrella which he retracted and created into his own sword. I struck out with my other sword and he blocked it again. He spun around and struck out with his umbrella again. I blocked the attack by crossing my swords and pushing up so that his umbrella was stuck where my swords crossed. I had to give him credit, his ability as a swordsman was amazing. Before I could react again Raidon stuck out his foot and kicked me in the stomach. I flew backwards. I managed to flip myself over and landed on one knee. I stuck my sword into the ground and spat out the blood that filled my mouth. I wiped my lips where a small trickle of blood fell down my face.

"Not bad." I said with a smirk on my face.

"If you liked that, then you're gonna love this." Suddenly Raidon threw his umbrella into the air. It opened and suddenly began to spin around very quickly. I tensed as I saw small senbon being released by the umbrella. I grabbed the sword that I had stuck in the ground and flipped backwards but wasn't fast enough to avoid all of the senbon. They practically covered the entire arena. I landed on one knee again and took in a deep breath. The senbon stung slightly but I ignored them. I went to pull the senbon out when I suddenly tensed. I couldn't move. I shook slightly and I could feel a cold sweat cover my forehead. Suddenly my eyesight became blurry and I could feel myself sway.

"Kitsuchi look out! The senbon are covered with poison!" I heard Sutaru yell out. Her voice sounded distant. I glared.

"Couldn't you have told me that _before_ I was pelted by them?! I kind of already figured it out for myself Sutaru!"

"Sorry I was just trying to help!" She replied angrily.

"Well don't bother!" I replied.

"That cheating bastard! Using poison shouldn't be allowed!" I heard Kiba protest. I closed my eyes and my left eye twitched in anger.

"Would you all shut up and let me think!" I screamed. Suddenly everyone was silent. _Thank you_! I thought to myself. I wiped my eyes trying to see if that would clear them up. No good. I still couldn't see properly.

"Damn it." I muttered under my breath. I tensed as I felt a presence coming at me. I attempted to move but with the poison slowing me down so much I couldn't get out of the way in time. A fist suddenly came out at me and hit me in the face. I flew backwards and rolled along the ground before coming to a stop on my back. I cringed in pain. I slowly and shakily sat back up. I used my left Crescent Moon Blade to hold myself steady. I had to drop my second one just so I could stay straight.

"Don't tell me this fight is over all ready. I was just starting to have fun." Raidon said with a smirk.

"Screw you! I'm not done yet!" I yelled out. The only problem was, Raidon, was practically right. Even though the fight had only just started I was exhausted. There was sweat falling down my face, my eyesight was becoming darker, and I was slowly losing complete control of my body. I took a deep breath. There was only one thing that would save me right now, and I needed to act fast in order for it to work. I slowly reached for my carrying case. I managed to pull out three kunai but they felt so heavy in my hands. I lifted the first one up and aimed it at my target. Raidon started to laugh.

"You're going to throw a kunai at _me_?! You can barely stand let alone actually throw a kunai and _hit_ me!" I ignored his comment and threw the kunai. It missed Raidon completely.

"I told you." He said and shook his head. I ignored him again and threw the second kunai, completely missing him again. I then lifted up the last kunai. Raidon shook his head.

"This is just sad. I almost feel bad for beating you. Let's face it, if you missed me the first time, and again the second time, what makes you think you're going to hit me a third time?" He asked.

"You know what they say, 'third time's the charm'." I replied. I lifted the kunai above my head and then brought it down. Everyone in the crowd gasped.

"What the hell?!" Raidon said shocked. I cringed slightly and I felt the pain slowly erupt from my thigh. _Damn, if I knew it would hurt this much I would have done something else_. I thought to myself slightly amused. I then took my sword and stabbed it as hard as I could into the ground so it wouldn't move. Raidon didn't say anything this time. Instead he gripped his umbrella tighter. I smirked. He knew I was planning something, but he didn't know what. Perfect. I reached into my carrying case again and pulled out two smoke bombs. I threw the first one at my own feet and the second one at Raidon.

"What the- what are you trying to do?! You can use smokescreens all you want but they're not going to save you from my senbon!" He yelled out. I acted quickly and let my plan unfold. Raidon threw his umbrella into the air and again thousands of senbon flew around the arena, but not one of them was going to hit me. I smiled and waited for the smoke to clear. Everyone gasped and I smirked. They were all shocked when the veil of smoke cleared revealing a sword stuck in the ground and not a skewered Kitsuchi like they were all suspecting. I watched as shock and anger filled Raidon's face.

"Where the hell is she?! You coward come out! I knew fighting a girl would be stupid! Just when things are down she ran away. What a waste of time." Raidon caught his umbrella as it came back down to him and stabbed it into the ground. I smirked. _Perfect_.

"Hey Raidon! You're pretty blind considering I'm the one with blurred vision!" Raidon looked up and shock filled his face. I winked at him from where I was hiding.

"Incredible! She used the smokescreens as a distraction so Raidon wouldn't realize what she was doing!" Ayane said happily.

"I don't get it, how did she get up there?" Naruto asked.

"Isn't it obvious?! When she stuck her sword into the ground she gave herself a sort of lift to help her reach the kunai that she had stuck in the ceiling earlier! She didn't miss Raidon because she couldn't see him; she missed him so that when the kunai stuck in the ceiling she could grab them when she jumped up there! By going up there not only did she give herself the advantage, she also protected herself from getting hit by more senbon! Genius Kitsuchi absolute genius!" Ayane said her eyes shining. I smiled at her and then turned my attention back to Raidon.

"Now, it's my turn." I let go of the kunai and fell towards Raidon. I pulled out my last sword, Soujin, and prepared to strike. As I was about to land on Raidon I moved myself slightly forward and stuck Soujin straight out. The blade went into the ground and stopped my fall. I then twisted around and kicked Raidon in the face. I then flipped back and when I hit the ground I jumped forward and punched him in the face. I then ran behind him and kicked him in the back. He flew forward and hit Soujin. He yelled out in pain and blood flew from his mouth. I came up behind him. I ran up his back pushing him into Soujin's handle causing him more pain. I then jumped up, flipped around, and kicked Raidon in the face again. He flew back and landed with a loud _thud_. I ran forward bringing Soujin with me this time. I jumped up and landed on Raidon's stomach with my knees causing him to scream out in agony. I brought Soujin up and, using both hands, brought it back down to stab him in the neck.

I stopped when a voice sounded out. I looked up and glared at Ayane. She looked at me with worry in her eyes. I looked back down at Raidon and caught my reflection in Soujin. My eyes were a deep violet, my canine teeth had grown slightly longer, and there was an angry glare on my face. My face suddenly fell and my eyes grew wide with shock and fright. I jumped backwards panicked. Soujin fell to the side as I let go of it.

My breathing was fast and hard. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I knew better than to let myself lose control like that. Yet in a battle as small as this I almost completely lost it. I lifted my hands up and stared down at them. They were shaking violently like the rest of my body. I brought them up to my head and leaned forward. What was wrong with me?

"Kitsuchi! Kitsuchi are you ok?!" I heard someone calling out to me, but I couldn't tell who it was. I looked up as I felt someone come close to me. Hayate looked down at Raidon and then looked at me.

"Raidon is unable to continue the fight. The match goes to Kitsuchi Fure!" He said. I wanted to smile. I wanted to jump around and rub the fact that I had won in Kiba's face, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt tears fall down my face and my body continued to shake. I crossed my arms across my stomach trying to stop the tremors that erupted throughout my body. Suddenly my eyesight became very dim. Everything was now nothing more than a blurred blob. I blinked trying to clear my eyes but it wouldn't work. Then, everything went black.

-Ayane-

As soon as Hayate called the match we ran down to Kitsuchi. Sutaru and I made it to her first and lifted her from the ground. She was in a cold sweat and her breathing was becoming very shallow.

"Kitsuchi? Kitsuchi can you hear me?" I asked.

"Come on Kitsuchi wake up. You know you'll never hear the end of it from me if you don't." Sutaru added. We lightly shook her but she still didn't stir.

"Ryuunosuke-sensei, she won't wake up." I said sadly. Ryuunosuke-sensei went down on one knee and checked Kitsuchi's pulse.

"Her pulse is faint, but it's growing in strength. She'll be fine, we just have to wait for her system to clean out the poisons. I'll just bring her back up to the balcony. Ayane you can heal these small wounds can't you?" I slowly nodded. Ryuunosuke-sensei pulled one of his rare smiles and I couldn't help but smile back. He picked Kitsuchi up and carried her to the balcony. Sutaru grabbed Kitsuchi's swords and brought them back up with us.

"Man these things are heavy! I don't get how she can carry them around so easily!" She commented. I smirked at her and she smiled back. When we reached the top of the balcony Ryuunosuke-sensei sat Kitsuchi down and I quickly went to work pulling the senbon out and healing the small puncture wounds.

"There, that should do it." I said with a small smile. I slowly stood up and turned to look at Kiba. He was staring down at Kitsuchi with a sad and worried expression. I smiled at him.

"Don't worry, you heard what Ryuunosuke-sensei said. She's fine, she just needs a quick rest and then she'll be back to her usual bouncy self." Kiba looked at me and smiled slightly, but then the smile disappeared. I stared at him. Something else was bothering him.

"Kiba, is something wrong?" I asked. He looked at me and a sudden bright smile crossed his face.

"Oh, nothing's wrong. I'm fine, what would make you think something was wrong?" He asked. I smiled. Something was wrong, but he didn't want to talk about it and I couldn't bring myself to pry for more information. Suddenly I heard a soft mumbling noise and looked down to see Kitsuchi slowly coming to. I crouched down beside her and smiled brightly. Kiba and Sutaru joined me. Ryuunosuke-sensei stood above us with a smirk on his face. Kitsuchi opened her eyes and looked at the four of us.

"W-what are you guys smiling about?" She asked. I looked at Sutaru and she looked at me. We smiled and then jumped on Kitsuchi. We hugged her and her face went bright red.

"Ayane, Sutaru what are you guys doing?!" She asked completely shocked. We let go of her and smiled.

"Oh nothing." We replied at the same time. Kitsuchi looked at us and slowly shook her head.

"Whatever, now help me up." We smiled and did as she said.

"How is she ok already?" Kiba suddenly asked. We looked at him, then back at Kitsuchi. We knew it was because of Kitsuchi's demon that she healed so quickly, but that wasn't exactly something we could tell Kiba. Kitsuchi just shrugged her shoulders.

"There wasn't that much poison in me anyway. And I'm way stronger than I look." She said with a smile. Kiba slowly smiled back. We held Kitsuchi up. She was slightly wobbly and she almost fell. We caught her before she hit the ground.

"Kitsuchi are you sure you're ok to walk?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. That was just me being clumsy." She said. She stood back up and walked forward again. Kitsuchi seemed to be doing alright when she suddenly lost balance and began to fall again. Sutaru and I moved to catch her. Kitsuchi closed her eyes waiting to hit the hard ground below when she suddenly hit something that was softer and warmer than what she was expecting. She looked up to see that she had fallen right into Kiba who had caught her safely in his arms. Her face became a bright red. Kiba just stood there and stared down at Kitsuchi. Kitsuchi suddenly yelled out and fell back. Sutaru and I jumped forward and caught her before she hit the ground for the second time. She stared at Kiba and he stared at her. Both their faces were bright red. Suddenly Kitsuchi glared at Kiba.

"What the heck was that?!" She demanded. Kiba stared at her shocked.

"What do you mean 'what was that'?! That was me saving you from hitting the ground, _again_!"

"Again?" Sutaru asked. Kitsuchi's face continued to grow a darker shade of red.

"Well I never asked for your help! You should have just let me fall!"

"And if I had done that you would have complained about how I didn't catch you!" Kiba defended.

"Well obviously I would have!"

"Damn it I can't win with you can I?!"

"Let's face it the only reason you help me is because you like holding me in your arms." Kitsuchi said jokingly while wrapping her arms around herself.

"How do you know if I don't?! You're always yelling at me before I can even defend myself! Maybe I _like_ making sure you're safe! Even if it does mean you have to be in my arms!" My jaw, Sutaru's jaw, and Ryuunosuke-sensei's jaws all dropped. Kitsuchi stopped dead. Kiba looked at us and then realized what he had just said. His face went a brighter red than Kitsuchi's. Akamaru whined slightly. I slowly regained my composure and walked over to Kitsuchi. It was like she had frozen in time.

"Kitsuchi? Kitsuchi are you in there?" I asked. I poked her in the cheek. She didn't even move.

"Hey look they're about to choose the next match." Sutaru suddenly said changing the subject. I looked up at the computer screen. The names of the remaining combatants flashed across the screen. These preliminaries were going by faster than I had expected. The only ninja left who hadn't fought yet were Sutaru, Lee, Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Choji, Gaara, that guy from the sound village, and the last member of the Kirigakure team. Suddenly the names stopped.

"Man it's about time! Don't worry everyone this match was definitely worth the wait!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

"Thank you! Come on Akamaru this will be an easy match! And I can get out of here for now." Kiba said under his breath. Naruto raised his hands in the air.

"Oh yeah this is gonna be awesome!" He said excitedly. They both made their way down to the floor. Before Kiba descended down the stairs he took one more quick look at Kitsuchi. When she didn't even turn to face him he continued down the stairs with a sad expression on his face. I watched as he made his way to the arena. I smiled slightly to myself. _Let's see what you've got Kiba. Even though he may seem an easy target Naruto has more fight in him than you think. Remember Kiba, fight hard. If not for yourself, then at least do it for Kitsuchi_.

-Kitsuchi-

I stood, frozen to my spot on the balcony. I couldn't believe Kiba had just said that! There was no way he really felt that way towards me, was there? No, absolutely not! I hated him and he hated me that was the end of it! But if he did hate me, why was he always there to help me when I needed it? Why was he the only one I could fight with without getting too angry? Why was it that when I was around Kiba everything seemed so much brighter? Why was it that when I thought of Kiba, my heart grew warm? And why was it that when I was around Kiba, I could be myself without fear of what anyone else thought or said?

I shook my head. All of these things were so confusing! I didn't know what to think or even feel. I shook my head again. All these things were stupid. It was probably just the poisons that were in my system. They were forcing me to think some weird things. Yeah, that was it. It was just the poisons. Just the poisons and nothing more. I think.

"Kitsuchi are you going to stand there forever or come cheer Kiba on?" Sutaru asked. I looked up to see Ayane and Sutaru staring at me.

"Cheer Kiba on? What are you talking about?" I asked confused. Sutaru and Ayane grabbed my arms and pulled me to the side of the balcony. My eyes grew wide as I realized what they had been talking about. There he was, the guy who had caused me to become so confused, standing in the middle of the arena with a smile of total confidence on his face. However, he wasn't the only one that caught my eye. Right across from Kiba, wearing his usual bright orange jumpsuit, was my best friend Naruto. Naruto turned and gave me the thumbs up. I smiled slightly and nodded. Naruto smiled brightly and turned back to Kiba. I brought my finger up to my mouth and started chewing on my nail.

"Something wrong Kitsuchi?" Ayane asked.

"A lot of things." I replied still staring at the two combatants.

"Oh, are you still freaking out about what Kiba said?" Sutaru asked. I knew she was teasing me but I just couldn't fight back.

"No, I'm freaking about the current situation right here." I replied. Sutaru and Ayane looked at me confused.

"What are you talking about?" Ayane asked.

"I don't know who to cheer for." I replied. Sutaru and Ayane sighed and dropped their heads.

"You're kidding right?" Sutaru asked.

"No Sutaru I'm not kidding. Who the heck am I supposed to cheer for? If I cheer for Naruto then Kiba will get mad and not talk to me, but if I cheer for Kiba then Naruto will get mad and not talk to me either, and if I cheer for _both_ of them then they'll both get mad and then neither of them will talk to me." I said continuing to bite on my nail.

"Hmm, which one would you rather not talk to you for the next little while?" Sutaru asked. I glared at her.

"Calm down I'm only kidding. Well in this sort of predicament I suggest all you do is not cheer at all. That way neither of them can get mad at you. After the fight you can then congratulate whoever wins and comfort whoever loses. Either way it's win-win for you." Sutaru said with a smile. I smiled back. She was technically right. I just hope Kiba and Naruto didn't mind if I ignored them for the next little while.

I looked back at the arena as Hayate was about to start the next match.

"The ninth match, Kiba Inuzuka versus Naruto Uzumaki."

"Alright Akamaru we totally lucked out this time! This match is going to be a piece of cake!" Kiba said excitedly.

"Don't be so cocky you jerk! Kiba get rid of your stupid puppy he's going to get in the way of our match!" Naruto said angrily.

"I don't think so. Akamaru fights with me like always!" Kiba said while petting Akamaru. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"You've got to be kidding me. Is that even allowed?" Naruto asked turning to Hayate.

"According to the preliminary rules any animals or insects that are used as part of a combatant's jutsu are considered the same as normal weapons." Hayate explained. Well, at least that explained why Shino wasn't kicked out when he fought his match.

"Humph whatever. I don't need to do my best with the help of a handicap anyway." Naruto said smugly. Kiba glared at him

"Who does this clown think he his? Fine then, I'll play it your way. Sit this one out ok Akamaru?" Akamaru whined but left Kiba to fight without him.

"Naruto don't you let that loser beat you!" Sakura suddenly called out. I glared at her but turned my attention back on Kiba and Naruto before she noticed.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be nice and finish you off real fast instead of letting this match drag out." Kiba said with a sly smile.

"Well, right back at you Kiba." Naruto smirked.

"You're not fooling anyone with that cool act of yours Naruto!" Kiba said angrily. Akamaru barked in agreement again. Naruto glared at Kiba and Kiba smirked back. I shook my head. As much as I hated to admit it, Kiba's overconfidence would be his downfall for sure. The fact that he underestimated Naruto so much would mean that if Naruto pulled anything Kiba would be the last to expect it which also put Kiba at a disadvantage.

"Well then, you may begin the match!" Hayate said and jumped back. Kiba suddenly crouched down on the ground. He made the tora hand sign and a weird chakra formed around him. The he went down on both feet and hands and smirked.

"Here I come." Naruto's face filled with shock as Kiba jumped quickly from side to side before body checking Naruto. Naruto flew back and landed on the ground.

"Heh, he's out for the count already." Kiba said with a satisfied smirk.

"I figured as much." Shikamaru sighed.

"Yeah, like Naruto would ever be able to stand up to someone like Kiba." Ino commented and shrugged.

"You're wrong." I whispered.

"What?" Shikamaru and Ino asked at the same time.

"Naruto's stronger than you seem to think. He fights with something many ninja leave behind as they enter a battle. He fights with his heart, and unless you put everything you have on the line in a fight like Naruto does, you'll never win." I replied with a slight smile. My smile fell as Kiba looked up at me with that satisfied grin on his face. I smiled back and waved but stopped when Kiba turned back around. I put my thumb near my mouth and chewed on my nail.

"You're still freaking out about the cheering thing?" Ayane asked me.

"Yeah you haven't said anything to anyone since the fight started. I thought for sure you would have gotten over it already and would start screaming the place down for Kiba." Sutaru said.

"Really? I figured seen as she was already kind of mad at Kiba she would have started cheering for Naruto." Ayane pointed out.

"No way she should be cheering for Kiba." Sutaru protested.

"Why? Naruto and her are best friends why would she cheer for Kiba?" Ayane asked.

"Did you not see that beautiful display of true feelings they just showed?" Sutaru asked angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ayane replied and shrugged. She was lying, but only because she wanted me to cheer for Naruto.

"Liar you did! And because of that she should be cheering for Kiba." Sutaru said.

"No she should be cheering for Naruto." Ayane argued.

"Kiba!"

"Naruto!"

"Kiba!"

"Naruto!"

"Stop it!" I yelled out. Everyone turned to look at me but I ignored them. I sighed.

"You guys already know why I'm not cheering for anyone so stop asking me to." I told them angrily.

"Oh yeah that's right." Sutaru said.

"Fine then we'll have to cheer for who we think will win then won't we?" Ayane said to Sutaru.

"Exactly." Sutaru agreed.

"Very well then I'll begin. Come on Naruto! You can totally take this guy down I know you can!" Ayane cheered happily. Kiba turned and looked at Ayane with a shocked expression on his face.

"Don't give up Kiba you've got this match in the bag!" Sutaru cheered just as loud. Kiba turned to Sutaru this time with an equally shocked expression than before. I lightly slapped my palm to my forehead and sighed.

"What are you two yelling about?" Kiba asked.

"Well you see, since Kitsuchi doesn't really know who to cheer for seen as Naruto is her best friend and you're…well…Kiba, Sutaru and I have decided to cheer for one of you instead. I myself am the part of Kitsuchi that wants Naruto to win…" Ayane said.

"While I am the part of Kitsuchi that wants you to win." Sutaru finished. Kiba looked at both Ayane and Sutaru as if they were insane. He then looked at me and I felt my face go a bright red. I was shocked when Kiba smiled and shook his head.

"You're way too loyal Kitsuchi." He said and my face burned red. I smiled and cocked my head to the side.

"Yeah I guess I am." Kiba's face suddenly turned a light red. He tensed though as he heard a faint grunt coming from behind him. His face filled with shock as Naruto slowly stood to his feet. He smiled and then glared at Kiba.

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto said angrily. Everyone in the arena's faces filled with shock.

"Go Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

"Yeah!" Lee cheered happily.

"Woohoo go Naruto! That's what I'm talking about!" Ayane said with more enthusiasm than was needed. Kiba glared angrily at Naruto and a deep growl erupted from his throat.

"You talk pretty tough for someone that's bleeding all over the place! Why don't you end your suffering now and surrender?!" He yelled.

"Woof!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Don't you understand anything? I let you hit me so I could figure out what you're really made of. You're way to into yourself. Fight me alone, or with that dog of yours, or any other way you want but there's no way I'm going to lose to you!" Naruto said with a smile. He wiped the blood from his lip. Kiba flinched slightly and then glared at Naruto.

"Yeah Naruto! Go Naruto go! You tell that dog what's what! Oh, no offence Kiba!" Ayane said putting her hand behind her head.

"Don't take that from the likes of him Kiba! Kick that orange jumpsuit wearing kid's butt!" Sutaru yelled angrily. Kiba twitched but I didn't think it was because of Naruto.

"You'll be sorry for that. Let's get him Akamaru!" Kiba yelled. Akamaru barked in understanding and both Kiba and his faithful dog leaped at Naruto. Kiba suddenly pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it at Naruto. It exploded shrouding Naruto in a thick smokescreen. We could hear thumping, Kiba's cry of victory as he hit Naruto and Naruto grunting in pain. Suddenly Naruto jumped out of the smokescreen. Unfortunately he was too slow and didn't notice as Akamaru leaped up at him. Naruto's face filled with shock as Akamaru jumped up and bit Naruto in the arm. Naruto fell backwards right into the smokescreen again.

We all stood impatiently and anxiously as the smoke slowly drifted away. My face filled with shock and worry as the fading smoke revealed a happy Akamaru, and a seemingly unconscious Naruto.

"Woohoo that's what I'm talking about Kiba and Akamaru!" Sutaru said pumping her arm in the air.

"Oh no Naruto!" Ayane said worriedly.

"All right! We did it! Nice job!" Kiba said happily. Akamaru barked in agreement as he ran back to his master.

"That was a good one Aka-" Kiba was cut short and we all gasped in disbelief. Akamaru had suddenly turned against his master and had bit Kiba on the arm! What was going on?! Suddenly Akamaru disappeared revealing a very excited Naruto.

"Ha, gotcha, arf!" Naruto said smugly. Everyone gasped. If that was Naruto, where was Akamaru?

"Damn it I let my guard down! Where the hell is Akamaru you freak?!" Kiba demanded. Naruto's face suddenly filled with disgust and he released Kiba's arm.

"Eww, you taste like dog! Disgusting." Suddenly another Naruto appeared holding a helpless Akamaru up by the paws.

"Over here doggy boy!" Naruto's clone smiled brightly. Akamaru whined upset that he had let his master down.

"Akamaru!

"Yeah Naruto! That's what I'm talking about! That was absolutely flawless!" Ayane yelled down. Naruto turned and gave both me and Ayane the thumbs up. I smiled slightly and waved while Ayane winked at him with a bright smile on her face. I notice Kiba's glare become more sinister so I lowered my hand and my smile fell.

"Amazing! Naruto was able to use the Transformation Jutsu right after using his shadow clones! There's no way…!" Shikamaru said amazed.

"That can't be the same Naruto from the academy! No way could he ever stand up to Kiba or even come this close to beating him! I just can't believe it." Ino stared at Naruto, a hint of wonder and amazement on her face. I looked around the arena. Almost everyone had a slight smile on their face, and it was obvious that they were all impressed by Naruto and his efforts. I smiled to myself. He really had improved. Though I had never actually seen Naruto in a fight prier to this, I could feel that he had become stronger over the course of these exams. _Way to go Naruto, I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of you_. I thought to myself. I closed my mouth and had to control myself to keep from laughing out loud. After I regained control of myself I turned my attention back at the fight.

Kiba still had a harsh glare on his face but he softened it slightly with a smirk.

"I guess you have gotten stronger. So when I attack next there's no way I'm holding back!" Kiba threatened.

"Huh, fine then! I'm not holding back either!" Naruto replied.

"Oh Naruto, tha-"

"Way to go Naruto that was awesome!" Hinata's quiet voice was drowned out with a loud yell by Sakura. I looked at Hinata. When she felt me staring at her she looked up at me. I smiled slightly and she smiled back with a tinge of red on her cheeks. She was so quiet and shy. I felt pity for her, but at the same time something told me that she was stronger than she looked. She didn't say anything after what she was about to say. I smiled at her again and she smiled back. We understood each other, in the sense that we were in the same boat. She wanted to cheer for her love interest, Naruto, but couldn't do that because Kiba was her teammate. I wanted to cheer for Naruto because he was one of my best friends, but I couldn't because then Kiba would be mad at me and probably take it out on Naruto. I couldn't have that happen.

"I think we're looking at a whole new Naruto." Shikamaru said amazement still on his face.

"Tell me about it." Ino agreed.

"Yeah Naruto show that Kiba what's what!" Ayane cheered again.

"Go Kiba I know you've got some trick up your sleeve!" Sutaru called. I sighed. I thought for sure Ayane and Sutaru would have destroyed each other by now, but they seem to have good control over themselves. Suddenly Kiba pulled something small, round, and dark out of his pocket. He flicked it towards Akamaru.

"I mean it Naruto. When they said 'no holds barred' they meant it. You're not getting any more mercy from me." He said as Akamaru caught the small black thing in his mouth. Akamaru chewed it and quickly swallowed. Naruto's face filled with shock as Akamaru's fur began to bristle and turn red. Akamaru began to growl and snarl fiercely. He suddenly bit Naruto.

"Oww!" Naruto said and released Akamaru. As soon as Naruto let go of Akamaru he jumped back to his master.

"His fur, it turned red! What the heck did you feed to that dog?!" Naruto demanded.

"His name is 'Akamaru'. It means 'red' you idiot." Kiba said before he bit down on another one of those black round things. "Alright let's do it Akamaru!" Kiba yelled. Kiba crouched down while Akamaru jumped onto his back. Akamaru barked loudly and Kiba made the tora hand sign.

"Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry!" He said. Suddenly Akamaru transformed into Kiba. Kiba crouched down so that his hands touched the ground. There was a strange chakra flowing around him. His nails suddenly grew longer so it looked as if he had claws.

"Amazing." I whispered under my breath.

"Whoa, yeah Kiba that's totally awesome! Naruto has no chance now!" Sutaru yelled happily.

"Naruto keep your guard up!" Ayane advised. Kiba suddenly snarled at Naruto and he had an angry glare on his face.

"Ok Kiba you're totally freaking me out! Is he like, high on something? Isn't that illegal?!" Naruto demanded.

"No it's permitted. Military ration pellets are acceptable ninja tools." Hayate explained.

"Damn it you're always saying that!" Naruto complained.

"What did they just eat?!" Shikamaru asked.

"They're called Hyodrogan." Choji explained.

"What does that mean?" Ino asked.

"Hyodrogan, or 'military ration pellets', are a class of nutritional supplements. They say that taking even one of those pills will give a soldier enough power to fight for three days and three nights without any rest. They're very high in protein and are easily absorbed into the body. They also have a relaxing effect even while they boost your energy. By now both Kiba and Akamaru's chakras are twice their normal level." Choji explained.

"Incredible." I heard Ayane mutter.

"This is bad news for Naruto," Asuma said, "in battle situations the pellets act as a medicine to distribute the user's chakra evenly throughout every part of his body, which, in turn, makes the function of the body much like that of an animal's. In Kiba's case this sort of idea is perfect." He explained.

"Wow, so basically it would seem Kiba has this match already in the bag." Sutaru said.

"I don't know. Naruto always makes things end in his own favour." I said under my breath but loud enough so that the others on the balcony could hear me. We turned back to the fight as Kiba and Akamaru suddenly jumped up and at Naruto.

"Down On All Fours Jutsu!" Kiba yelled. Naruto jumped, ducked, rolled, and flipped to dodge almost every attack sent at him. Suddenly Kiba turned and managed to hit Naruto in the left arm. Naruto reached up to his shoulder as it started to bleed. Kiba came back around and hit Naruto again and again. Soon Naruto had blood running down his face and he was having trouble dodging all of Kiba's attacks. Kiba's face suddenly brightened.

"Time to end this. Take this Naruto! Man-beast ultimate taijutsu!" Suddenly Kiba and Akamaru turned themselves around so quickly they looked like nothing more than grey blurs. They jumped at Naruto and came at him from all angles.

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba yelled. Everyone's faces filled with shock at the amazing force Kiba used to attack Naruto. Kiba and Akamaru were like torpedoes sent straight at him.

"Wow talk about an awesome skill!" Sutaru said amazed.

"Humph, it's alright." Ayane said crossing her arms. I knew that if she wasn't set on cheering for Naruto she would already be commending Kiba for his amazing move. I smiled at how hard she was trying to control herself. My smile faded as Kiba's attack finished and Naruto fell to the hard ground with a loud thud!

"This shows you just how big the differences in our strengths are." He said smugly. Naruto suddenly coughed and blood flew from his mouth. I brought my hand up to my mouth at the same time Hinata did.

"Oh Naruto." I heard Ayane say. She was worried about him, but not as much as I was. I stared down at Naruto in shock. I knew Kiba said he wouldn't hold back, but this was too much. I didn't like watching my friend go through that kind of pain. I lowered my head. Kiba, how could you do that?! I started to shake in anger. I hit the side of my fist against the railing of the balcony. Ayane and Sutaru looked at me with worried expressions on their faces. I looked up as I heard Naruto speak.

"I-I'm gonna become Hokage. I won't…I can't…lose now…" Naruto said trying to lift himself from the ground. I felt tears form at the corners of my eyes. I lowered my head again and hit the railing.

"Oh Naruto, how could he do that to you?" I muttered to myself.

"You, Hokage?! You can hardly even stand up against me! No one's dumb enough to think you really have what it takes to become Hokage! Even you're not _that_ stupid! Tell you what though, how about I become Hokage in your place?" Kiba smiled brightly while he taunted Naruto. I grabbed the railing and clenched my hand around it. How dare Kiba mock Naruto's dream like that! How dare he hurt Naruto like that and then add salt to his wounds! How dare he believe _he_ had what it took to take Naruto's goal away from him! No, I wasn't going to let that happen! I don't care if Kiba hates me, I don't care if he never wants to talk to me again, but no one makes fun of my friends like that and gets away with it!

"Kiba you stupid dog that's enough!" I screamed while lifting my head. Tears flew from my eyes and I could feel my nails digging into my skin from clenching them against the thin bar. Kiba stared at me with shock covering his face. I could feel every pair of eyes staring at me, but I didn't care. If no one else was going to stand up for Naruto when he was down, I sure as hell was going to.

"Kitsuchi…?" Kiba said. I ignored him and glared as coldly as I could at him.

"Kiba what gives you the right to treat Naruto like that?! All this time you've done nothing but mock and abuse him! Have you even taken the chance to see how much Naruto has grown?! I may have not been in this village for long, but even I can see it! Naruto has become stronger, maybe even stronger than you! You think that just because Naruto is down right now that this whole match is over! Well guess what Kiba, it's not! Naruto entered this match knowing that he would be putting everything on the line! There is nothing more precious to him than his dream of becoming Hokage! And what do you do to that?! You beat it down, step on it, spit on it, and walk all over it! And I for one am not going to stand here and let you do that!

"Look around you Kiba! Look at everyone here! Do you think they came here to watch you torment and destroy any hope that Naruto has left?! Of course they didn't! They came here to watch you fight a clean match with everything you've got! And how do you treat that kind of respect? You throw it all away treat your opponent like trash! But you know what Kiba, Naruto has something that you'll never have! He has a confidence in himself that is unparalleled by anyone else here! He fights with his heart and that is what gives him true strength! A true strength, something that you'll never understand until you find something worth fighting for. Naruto understands that Kiba. He knows that some things are worth fighting for. Naruto's dream is what he fights so hard for. And what do you fight for Kiba? Yourself? Ha, your selfishness and overconfidence is what will cost you this match!

"Naruto is strong Kiba. He has what it takes to beat you. You can see it better than the rest of us and it scares you. But don't use that fear as an excuse to do destroy Naruto like this. I believed in you Kiba, I thought that if anyone would have a good match against Naruto, it would be you. But apparently I was wrong. You're pathetic Kiba. Watching you do this just makes me sick. If you continue to treat Naruto like this then I'll lose all faith in you and hate you for the rest of my life. Now stand up Kiba and show us what true strength you have, if you even have any left in you." I spat. Kiba stared at me a mixture of emotions clouding his face. The two emotions that stood out above the others, however, were anger and sadness. What I had said hurt him. It caused him more pain and ran deeper than any blade ever could.

I felt the tears slowly fall down my face. What I had said was harsh but every word I spoke was the truth. The arena was silent. No one was sure how to respond to what I had said. Should they agree with me? Or was what Kiba did for Naruto's own good? Everyone looked down at Naruto as he grunted. He was shaking and slowly lifting himself back up.

"C-come on Naruto. Get up!" Sakura suddenly said. A smile crossed Hinata's face. Everyone gasped and their faces filled with shock as Naruto stood back up. He lifted his head and glared at Kiba.

"If you try to come between me and the title of Hokage, I'll make sure you whimper like a whipped dog." He said coldly. I smiled and wiped the dried tears from my face. I knew he could do it. I knew Naruto had more in him and he could go on. I also knew that this match was going to end with Naruto as the victor. I smiled for Naruto. I knew he wasn't finished yet. I also knew that this was going to be Naruto's shining moment. A chance for him to show everyone that he wasn't the class clown any longer. My smile brightened and I crossed my arms. _Now Naruto, show Kiba, no, show _everyone _what you can do_.


	16. Chapter 15: Sutaru

**A.N.:** ^_^ Hey guys! I'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. I haven't updated this story in almost a year -.-…I'm a disgrace to myself…But I hope you do very much enjoy this chapter…It took me waaaay too long to write it I'm sorry! Please enjoy it ^_^!

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**Chapter Fifteen**

**A Proud Victory, An Undeserved Defeat, **

**and Sutaru's Unease**

-Kitsuchi-

_Come on Naruto, you can do it_. I thought to myself. Naruto and Kiba's fight had been going on for what felt like hours. Neither of them seemed to be letting up, especially Naruto.

"Forget it Kiba, there is no way I'm gonna let you take away my title as Hokage." Naruto said pointing at Kiba.

"You're definitely a stubborn one aren't you?" Kiba smirked. He turned to Akamaru who was still a Kiba clone.

"Let's go Akamaru!" He yelled. Kiba and Akamaru ran at Naruto the same way they had before. It was Kiba's best attack, Fang over Fang. Spinning rapidly and then launching himself and Akamaru at his targets like a torpedo. It was a very impressive attack and it was clear that Naruto was having problems avoiding it.

"Come on Naruto…" I whispered to myself.

"Kiba's Fang over Fang technique is really amazing. I'm surprised Naruto has managed to dodge it for this long." Sutaru said her arms crossed.

"That much is true. I just don't know how much longer he can last. The chances of his stamina outlasting Kiba's is very high since Kiba has to continuously use chakra to utilize that attack, but if Kiba can get in one, just one, clear shot, Naruto's finished." Ayane observed. She was standing watching over the match and chewing on her thumb. Every time I looked at her I had to do a double take since she was still wearing Sasuke's shirt. I turned my attention back to the match.

Naruto was still dodging every attack but it was becoming more difficult to predict where Kiba would strike next. Suddenly Naruto froze.

"What is he doing?!" Sakura yelled out clutching her hands up by her face. Naruto stood where he was and threw his hands up making the tora hand sign.

"Transform!" He yelled out. I waited for the smoke to clear and gasped. A smile quickly spread across my face.

"Alright Naruto!" I yelled. He had transformed himself into a perfect copy of Kiba. Kiba ran at him and stopped. Now Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru stood facing each other, but no one knew who the real Kiba was!

"Very good." Kakashi-sensei whispered to himself. Sakura turned to ask what was wrong but must have figured it out before hand because a smile quickly filled her face as well.

"That's amazing! He's totally left himself an opening!" Sutaru exclaimed.

"It's brilliant. It's hard to believe Naruto made this plan up on his own." Ayane said smiling. I looked back down to the fight and my face fell. Kiba was glaring and didn't seem all that shocked. Something was wrong.

"A word of warning, I may have underestimated you before, and for that I have regretted it. This time, however, I can figure out your transforming jutsu, and this is why!" Kiba suddenly ran at the other Kiba on the left hand side. He punched that Kiba in the face and that Kiba flew backwards.

"H-how…?" I asked.

"I knew it and it's because I can smell you. You had no chance. Never underestimate the power of a true canine's senses!" Kiba said smugly. The Kiba on the ground moaned. Suddenly laughter emitted from the Kiba still remaining.

"I win!" He said happily. A puff of smoke surrounded the Kiba on the ground. When it faded away, it revealed none other than Akamaru, and not Naruto.

"Akamaru no!" Kiba yelled.

"No way! Kiba was wrong?!" Sutaru exclaimed.

"But how?!" Ayane asked her eyes wide with shock. Kiba looked completely shocked and angry. He turned fiercely and faced the other Kiba.

"Then you must be the real Naruto, mocking me behind my back!" Kiba ran forward and punched the other Kiba who flew back. Smoke covered that Kiba as well and when it faded, another Akamaru was revealed.

"No way!" Ayane gasped.

"He was completely fooled!" Sutaru said almost falling over the railing. The Akamaru that had been hit before suddenly got up. By the time Kiba turned around to see what had happened, that Akamaru had turned back into Naruto. Naruto jumped at Kiba and kicked him right under the chin.

"Take this!" He yelled. Kiba flew back and landed beside the real Akamaru who was still lying on the ground.

"Incredible." Ayane and Sutaru breathed simultaneously.

"When did Naruto get so smart?" Ino asked out loud. I smiled. _I knew you had it in you Naruto I just knew it_! I thought to myself a wide smile crossing my face.

"You little jerk…" Kiba growled.

"Before you start running your mouth off about all your special and different techniques, you should really think about the consequences of using them. If you don't they'll just end up biting you right in the butt!" Naruto smiled and turned his thumb down. Kiba glared at him.

"Shouldn't Naruto, you know, practice what he preaches?" Sutaru asked.

"Please, it's Naruto, he says what he wants to sound cool but that's about all those words are for." Ayane laughed. Kiba suddenly bit himself in the hand hard enough to draw blood. He lifted himself from the ground. He went into his carrying case and pulled out eight shuriken. He put each shuriken in between his fingers and held his hands to the side.

"So you finally taking me seriously, eh Kiba?" Naruto asked

"Not in your dreams." Kiba replied.

"Whatever, you see, there's this move I've been working on. It's a killer move and it'll end this quickly." Naruto said using the tora hand sign again.

"What? When did Naruto have time to master a new move?" Sakura asked confused.

"After all this he still has a trick up his sleeve? Naruto truly is amazing." Rock Lee praised. Naruto then pushed his hands forward. It was a weird hand sign, one that I had never seen before. His right hand was clenched except for his index and middle fingers that he held straight, while his left hand was open with the thumb, ring, and pinky fingers in front of his right hand.

"What is he up to?" Ayane asked continuing to chew on her thumb.

"Honestly, it's Naruto, I've stopped trying to figure out what he's doing." Sutaru sighed leaning on the railing.

"I don't care what type of technique it is, as long as you don't release it, I don't have to worry!" Kiba yelled and rushed at Naruto throwing his shuriken. Naruto had to drop the hand sign in order to dodge the shuriken.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled obviously annoyed. He dodged each attack and then looked forward. Kiba had both hands together signaling that he was going to use his famous Beast Mimicry jutsu again. Naruto quickly went to counter by making the tora hand sign again.

"Too late!" Kiba said quickly sliding behind Naruto.

"Oh no!" Ayane gasped.

"Naruto look out!" I yelled. Naruto turned. Kiba lifted his claws to strike when…_poot_! Kiba suddenly stopped cold. Then just as quickly as he came down he went back up again covering his nose. He screamed out and walked backwards. Everyone's faces were filled with mixes of shock, disgust, and confusion.

"Ok, uh, did he mean to do that? Or was that just dumb luck?" Ayane asked.

"Disgusting, see this is why I hate guys like Naruto." Sutaru scoffed.

"Whatever it was I think Naruto has this match in the bag now." I said smiling in spite of myself. I had to control myself to keep from laughing. I just couldn't get over the fact that Naruto was going to beat Kiba, because he farted!

"Uh, ok, Naruto now's your chance!" Sakura yelled.

"All right, I think I overdid it a little, but now it's time to show you my new move!" Naruto exclaimed making the tora hand sign once again. He used the Shadow Clone jutsu and made four copies of himself. Including the real Naruto there was five all together.

"All right Kiba, it's time for me to get some payback for all the abuse I've taken since this fight started!" He yelled.

"Yeah come on Naruto!" I yelled.

"You can do it Naruto!" Ayane shouted. Sutaru remained silent.

"Something wrong Sutaru?" I asked.

"Oh, this fight just doesn't interest me anymore." Sutaru replied looking at her nails.

"Don't worry, she's just mad because she wanted Kiba to win, and he's not going to." Ayane winked at me. Sutaru glared at Ayane but turned completely away from the match.

"Just tell me when it's over." She said.

"Oh don't worry, that'll be very soon." I said smiling. The five Naruto's ran at Kiba. Four of them came at him from the north, south, east, and west, while the fifth one jumped up and kicked Kiba beneath the chin. Kiba fell back to the awaiting Naruto's.

"Na-ru-to!" He said as each of the four Naruto's kicked Kiba up into the air while the fifth one followed right up above him. Then the fifth Naruto flipped around and brought his foot down on Kiba's head.

"Uzumaki Barrage!" He yelled kicking Kiba's face into the hard surface below. Kiba spat out blood as he fell to the ground. There was complete silence throughout the arena. Hayate slowly walked over to Kiba and examined him. He looked over at Naruto and coughed a few times before standing.

"Naruto Uzumaki is the winner!" He yelled out.

"Yeah!" Lee exclaimed.

"Oh yeah that was totally awesome Naruto!" Sakura yelled punching the air.

"Whoa, I don't believe it, Naruto beat Kiba." Shikamaru said completely shocked.

"Oh yeah Naruto that was amazing! Way to go!" I yelled out jumping up and down.

"See I told you he could win!" Ayane smiled brightly.

"Yeah, whatever. Hey Kitsuchi, shouldn't you be, oh I don't know, tending to your man?" Sutaru asked.

"Excuse me?" I asked confused.

"She's telling you that you should go see Kiba. You hit him pretty hard with that heartfelt speech for Naruto, so I think you should at least go tell him he did a good job." Ayane explained.

"O-oh, ok." I said and quickly ran down the stairs. I slowly passed Naruto and smiled giving him a thumbs up. I would congratulate him more after talking to Kiba. I came up to Kiba just as he was being lifted on to a stretcher.

"Hey Kiba, how are you?" I asked.

"How do you think? I just got beaten by the worst student in the class." He replied obviously angry at himself.

"Aww it's not that bad. Naruto just had more to offer than you thought. You underestimated him. Now next time you fight him you'll know better." I said smiling.

"Are you trying to cheer me up, or make me feel worse, because I really can't tell." Kiba groaned.

I laughed. "I'm just saying this is a good learning experience for you is all. It was a good fight though, congratulations." I said. Kiba looked up at me.

"What are you congratulating me for? I lost." He pointed out confused.

"So? You fought a good, long match and gave it your all. Sure you didn't win, and sure you were a bit of a jerk at the beginning, but in the end it was a good match. That is why I'm congratulating you, not because you won or lost, but because you had a good match. You had fun fighting didn't you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Then who cares if you won or lost? Having fun is what's most important." I told him. I looked over to see Akamaru snuggled up next to Kiba.

"So how is he?" I asked softly.

"He's alright. Just a little sore, nothing my sister can't fix." I looked at Kiba. I didn't know he had sister! I was about to ask him more about it when Hinata walked over.

"Uh, um, hi Kiba, I have some, uh, medicine for you." She whispered. I smiled at her then turned back to Kiba.

"I'll see you later. Maybe if you're lucky I'll come visit you in hospital." I said and winked. I noticed his cheeks flush slightly but he turned away.

"Yeah, whatever." He replied. I stuck my tongue out at him and then made my way back upstairs so that Hinata could talk to her teammate. When I got upstairs Naruto was putting on some of the same medicine Hinata seemed to have given Kiba. After he was done I quickly snuck over and jumped on him. I quickly grabbed him in a headlock.

"Look at mister big shot winning the match against Kiba." I said smiling.

"Hey come on Kitsuchi I just finished a fight get offa me!" Naruto said grabbing my arm.

"Aww poor guy fights one match and can't take anymore? What's the matter? Can't handle a girl, huh?" I teased.

"Kitsuchi come on give me a break." Naruto pleaded. I smiled and released him. When he was standing back up again and quickly wrapped my arms around him in a small hug.

"Congrats on winning the match Naruto. You deserved it." I said and then released him. His face was bright red. He put his hand behind his head and smiled.

"Well it wasn't _that_ awesome, I mean, I could've taken him anytime. But I guess that fight was pretty sweet. Did you see my new move? Pretty cool right?" He asked. His face went back to its normal shade and he stood up triumphantly.

"Definitely, it was awesome. Way to go." I said and smiled brightly.

"Hey would you two love birds mind? They're about to call the next fight."

-Ayane-

I looked at Sutaru and cocked an eyebrow.

"She's going to kill you for that." I told her.

"Whatever, they're little voices were gnawing on the inside of my ear. My match might be next and I want to be able to hear it with both ears." Sutaru said. She started chewing on her thumb and she seemed a little jumpy.

"Nervous?" I asked.

"What? Me? Nervous? No, I'm not nervous. I'm fine, just fine." She replied. I sighed. She was so bad at lying.

"What the hell was that?!" We both turned as Kitsuchi came storming over to us.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Sutaru asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Because of you now everyone who was in hearing range thinks I have a thing for Naruto!" Kitsuchi exclaimed.

"Oh I'm sorry. Unlike you I actually have better things to worry about."

"Like what?!"

"Like maybe the fact that I am possibly going to go into a death match any second now and you're over there smooching around with Naruto! You guys have already won your matches so I don't need the extra pressure!" Sutaru yelled. Kitsuchi and I stared at her.

"It's not that bad Sutaru. Sure we won our matches but you can win yours too. You just have to believe in yourself." I said smiling. Sutaru looked at me and then turned back towards the battle ground.

"Yeah sure, thanks." She replied. I looked at Kitsuchi and smiled. Kitsuchi smiled back. We walked over to Sutaru and wrapped our arms over her shoulders. We looked up at the screen and waited for the names to be called.

"Alright everyone, the next match will be…" Hayate called out. Everyone turned to look at the screen. Kitsuchi and I could feel Sutaru shaking either with excitement or fear we weren't sure. We watched the names blink across the screen. When they stopped everyone gasped.

"Would Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga please come to the center of the arena." Hayate called out. Kitsuchi and I looked down as Sutaru let out a sigh of relief.

"You sound happy." Kitsuchi said smiling.

"All right fine. So I'm nervous, you know how much I hate fighting." Sutaru said crossing her arms. We smiled at her and then hugged her.

"It's ok Sutaru, you can do it." I said.

"Yeah, you have genjutsu don't forget and that can be just as effective." Kitsuchi agreed trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks, but do me a favour? Let me go and let's watch the fight." Sutaru said annoyed. We smiled and turned to the arena to see Hinata and Neji already standing face to face. Already we could feel the tense atmosphere. Why it was so tense though, we did not know.

"I never dreamed I'd have to face you Lady Hinata." Neji said.

"Neji…big brother…" Hinata whispered. Sutaru, Kitsuchi, and my eyes grew wide.

"Wait a second, they're brother and sister?!" Kitsuchi exclaimed shocked.

"I didn't even know Hinata had a brother!" I said equally shocked.

"Well, they're not exactly brother and sister." The three of us turned to see Ryuunosuke-sensei standing behind us.

"Oh hey Ryuunosuke-sensei when did you get here?" Kitsuchi asked. Ryuunosuke-sensei closed his eyes and his left eyebrow twitched.

"I've been standing here the whole time." He said through clenched teeth.

"Really? Didn't even notice you, you should speak up more." Sutaru said.

"I'll ignore that one for now bright eyes." He replied.

"So Ryuunosuke-sensei what do you mean they're not brother and sister?" I asked.

"Well, both Hinata and Neji are part of the Hyuga clan. In the Hyuga clan there is a main branch and a cadet branch. Hinata is in the main branch of the family whereas Neji is part of the cadet branch meaning that it is Neji's responsibility to protect Hinata. Neji is actually Hinata's cousin." Ryuunosuke-sensei explained.

"Oh, so it's kind of like cousin fighting cousin right?" Sutaru asked.

"I guess so, but that's gotta be hard on them." Kitsuchi said.

"Well it would be, except there has been a lot of strain between the main and cadet branches of the Hyuga clan." Ryuunosuke-sensei commented.

"How come?" I asked.

"Well, put in simpler terms, in past years the original Hyuga clan made many rules and decrees that favoured those in the main branch. This helped them to keep the blood of the Hyuga clan pure and strong. Many of those in the cadet branch still feel angered and humiliated by the rules." Ryuunosuke-sensei continued to explain.

"Wow, so this is one of those fated meetings then." I said.

"Yes she can win!" We all turned to see Naruto screaming down at Neji from the balcony.

"Did the match already start?" Kitsuchi asked looking over the railing.

"I guess so, but I think it's been mostly conversation. Neither of them looked like they've moved." I said.

"Eww, what's with Neji's eyes?" Sutaru asked. I turned my attention to Neji. I was shocked to see that the veins around his eyes were all sticking out. They looked like spider webs running along his face.

"That, bright eyes, is the Byakugan." Ryuunosuke-sensei said. We all turned back to him.

"The Byakugan?" I asked confused.

"You all know about the Uchiha family's secret eye kekkei-genkai correct?"

"Vaguely." We replied in unison.

"Well the Byakugan is also a kekkei-genkai passed down through the Hyuga clan. It is one of the reasons why they are considered one of the most illustrious families in Konoha."

"Why? What does it do?" Sutaru asked.

"It allows them to see into the human body to the point where they can locate the Keirakukei, a sort of circulatory system that sends chakra throughout the body. If one can see the Keirakukei, they can basically win any match. That is one thing the Hyuga clan does best. They locate the Keirakukei and attack it directly using what they call the "soft fist" fighting style. They fuse their own chakra into the tips f their fingers and attack the vital points in a human body. By hitting these points and the Keirakukei, one can do incredible damage to the human body. In this a poke is ten times more powerful than a punch if directed to the right area." Ryuunosuke-sensei explained.

"Wow, I didn't think Hinata had that kind of ability." Sutaru said shocked.

"Having the ability is one thing, but being able to administer it properly is another." Ryuunosuke-sensei said. We nodded and turned back to the fight just as loud gasps filled the arena. We looked down and found Hinata and Neji standing right in front of each other. Neither of them moved.

"D-did she get him, or did he get her?" Kitsuchi asked. Suddenly Hinata's face filled with shock and she choked up blood. It fell out of her mouth and trickled down her lips. When we looked down we could see that Neji had pushed Hinata's attack to the side with his left hand and had hit her in the chest with his right. A sudden determined look filled Hinata's face and she lashed out at Neji's face. Neji dodged it and grabbed Hinata's left arm. He quickly brought up his free hand and poked Hinata in the elbow. Neji then slowly pulled back the sleeve of Hinata's jacket revealing small red circles all over Hinata's arms. Her face filled with shock.

"Impossible…" Ryuunosuke-sensei breathed. We turned back to him.

"Something wrong Ryuunosuke-sensei?" I asked.

"You see those red marks on Hinata's arms?" He asked. We all nodded.

"Yeah, what about them?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Those are where the Tenketsu are." Ryuunosuke-sensei replied.

"What are…'Tenketsu'?" Sutaru asked.

"Tenketsu are points that run along the Keirakukei. There are 361 in total and they're about the size of a pin prick. Neji can see them using his Byakugan which is something not even the Sharingan can do. The fact that he located them using his eyes and was able to attack them even in the midst of battle is…incredible. Neji is undoubtedly what one would call a child prodigy." Ryuunosuke-sensei explained.

"Wow, and I thought he was just plain rude when we met him, but to think he's also a child prodigy…" Kitsuchi said shocked.

"Then, this match was over, before it even began." I said sadly. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked at me and slowly nodded.

"Hinata is trying her hardest, but against Neji, her hardest is nowhere near enough." He said and turned back to face the match. We all turned at the same time to continue watching. We looked just as Neji and Hinata were in the middle of a brawl. It was amazing to see them fight. It was like watching two professionals dancing. It was incredible, but with the match already decided, it was like watching a bully pick on someone so much younger than they were. It was mean, and it was sad, but there was nothing we could do.

Suddenly Neji struck his hand out and caught Hinata under the chin. She slid backwards but it didn't stop her. She was bruised and bloodied but she wouldn't quit.

"I don't understand why she won't stop, this fight is over. She can't win." Ryuunosuke-sensei said. I looked at him then turned back to Hinata. I saw her eyes slowly shift up and she looked at Naruto. I then realized why she refused to quit.

"She can't quit, because the person she loves the most is watching her." I said.

"What are you talking about Ayane?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Naruto is watching Hinata, instead of Hinata watching Naruto. This is her shining moment, a chance to show Naruto what she can do, and she's not going to give up because she loves him." I explained. I smiled slightly. That smile, however, quickly fell as Hinata lunged at Neji and was immediately stopped by Neji. I gasped and covered my mouth as I saw Neji strike directly at Hinata's heart. She immediately fell to the ground. If what Ryuunosuke-sensei said was true, this was bad, very, very bad. Hayate walked over to Hinata and sighed.

"Seen as this match cannot con-"

"Don't stop the match!" Naruto suddenly called out. We all turned to him shocked.

"You idiot what are you talking about?! Hinata has nothing left, she's already collapsed!" Sakura yelled. I turned back to the arena and my eyes grew wide.

"Impossible…" I heard Ryuunosuke-sensei breathe. Everyone turned back and their faces filled with shock. Hinata was moving, not just that, she was slowly and shakily standing back up. She was holding her side and staring at the ground. Blood dripped from her mouth but she still stood. She slowly looked up and a determination filled her eyes that I had never seen in Hinata.

"She's not honestly thinking of continuing is she? She's completely nuts!" Kitsuchi said shocked.

"For once I agree with Kitsuchi. There's no way Hinata can keep going like this." Sutaru said. I remained silent. I didn't know what to think. Hinata couldn't keep fighting, it was true, but I couldn't bring myself to say she couldn't do it. Suddenly Neji glared at Hinata and lunged at her again.

"Neji stop the match is over!" Hayate commanded, but it was no use. Hinata had done something to anger Neji and he wasn't going to stop until she was down, whether dead or not. Suddenly Hayate, Kurenai-sensei, Gai-sensei, Ryuunosuke-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were surrounding Neji. Kurenai-sensei had grabbed Neji's left hand, Kakashi-sensei had grabbed his right, Gai-sensei had grabbed his back, Hayate was standing in front of Neji with two fingers on his forehead and Ryuunosuke-sensei had grabbed Neji's legs. Neji looked angry but couldn't do anything more.

Suddenly Hinata began to shake and she fell to the ground. She was coughing and blood was spurting from her mouth.

"Hinata!" Kurenai called and ran to her genin. Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I jumped down to the floor with Naruto and Sakura. We ran over to Hinata. Naruto kneeled to the ground and leaned over her.

"Hinata, are you ok?" He asked concerned.

"She doesn't look good. Her face is really pale." Sakura said.

"Hey you, Mr. Failure." Neji suddenly called. Naruto looked up realizing that Neji was talking to him.

"A couple of words of advice, a true shinobi warrior would never belittle themselves by cheering during a serious match, and one more thing, you may as well accept who you are, once a failure, always a failure." Neji said. Kitsuchi, Sutaru, and I glared at Neji.

"Why that little…" Kitsuchi said balling her hands into fists. I put my hand on her shoulder and shook my head.

"This isn't our fight." I said. Kitsuchi unclenched her fists but she continued to glare. Naruto suddenly stood and lunged at Neji. Lee appeared in front of him stopping Naruto's attack.

"If I was Lee I would've let Naruto beat that Neji kid senseless." Kitsuchi scoffed.

"There's no point, Naruto would be disqualified. That's why they should leave that for the remainder of the chunin exams." I said. Kitsuchi looked at me and smirked.

"I suppose, but if I get Neji there's no stopping me from taking him down." She smiled viciously.

"If you get Neji I won't stop you." I replied smiling back. We turned though as we heard Hinata cough again. A large amount of blood escaped her mouth.

"Oh no Hinata!" I called. I saw Kurenai throw a vicious glare at Neji. Neji just smirked.

"Instead of scowling at me, you should really focus on saving her." He said and turned to leave. I glared at the back of Neji's head. He was such a hateful person.

"Where are those medics?! Get over here now! I think she's going into cardiac arrest!" Kurenai yelled. The medics arrived within seconds.

"Oh no at this rate she won't last ten minutes! Hurry get her on the stretcher we need to get her to the O.R. now!" The head medic ninja called. They quickly lifted Hinata and carried her off.

"Out of the way!" They yelled to get people out of their way as quickly as possible. Naruto moved to the side and then walked towards a pool of blood on the ground. He leaned over and ran his fingers through it. He lifted his hand and pointed it at Neji, small traces of blood trickling to the ground.

"I vow to win." He said boldly. Neji just scoffed at Naruto and walked off the battleground.

"Wow Naruto, that was pretty cool." Kitsuchi said smiling. Naruto just looked at her and then walked back up to the balcony.

"Jeez, talk about giving someone the cold shoulder." Kitsuchi sighed but followed after him. Sutaru and I also made our way up to the balcony to find Kankuro, the Sunagakure shinobi, talking with Naruto.

"What's he doing up here?" I whispered to Kitsuchi.

"I don't know he just started randomly talking to Naruto. Maybe he wants to set up a date with Sutaru and that Gaara kid."

"Hey I heard that, that is not funny Kitsuchi!" Sutaru yelled glaring at Kitsuchi.

"Oh calm down I was kidding!" Kitsuchi said laughing.

"Hey, shorty, mind keeping it down? The adults are talking." Sutaru turned angrily to face Kankuro who was smirking at her.

"Hey watch it puppet boy. You have no idea how many ways I know how to kill a person with string." Sutaru spat angrily. Kankuro glared at her.

"Hey shorty considering how small you are you sure have a big mouth." Kankuro replied darkly.

"Considering how tall you are you sure have a small everything else." Sutaru retorted and smirked darkly. Kankuro's glare turned deadly.

"You better watch what you say shorty, you don't have a lot of height left to lose."

"Are you threatening me?" Sutaru asked stepping towards Kankuro.

"What if I am?" Kankuro asked stepping towards Sutaru.

"Well if you are I suggest you put your money where your mouth is." Sutaru replied taking another step forward.

"Are you challenging me shorty?" Kankuro asked taking another step towards Sutaru. Now they right in front of each other, only inches apart. Kankuro was at least a head taller than Sutaru so Kitsuchi and I couldn't help but chuckle to ourselves.

"What if I am?" Sutaru asked glaring darkly.

"Then we better settle this right here and now." Kankuro replied slowly pulling his giant puppet off his back.

"Hey bright eyes, why don't you save that for the preliminaries?" Ryuunosuke-sensei called.

"It's not my turn yet. Besides I can finish this sorry excuse for a shinobi off before they even call the names." Sutaru replied still staring at Kankuro.

"Uh, I beg to differ, take a look." Ryuunosuke-sensei said pointing his thumb at the screen. Immediately my eyes as well as Kankuro's, Kitsuchi's and Sutaru's bolted up towards the large screen. Beaming across the screen in bright, bold letters was Sutaru's name.

Kankuro chuckled. "Better take this chance to show me what you got shorty, looks like you're next."

-Sutaru-

My entire body was running like a circus. My stomach was doing flips and my heart had just dived what felt like thirty feet. There was no denying it. There was my name, Sutaru Sunake, written in bold yellow letters. I could feel the colour slowly drain from my face.

"What's wrong shorty? I thought you were ready for a fight?" Kankuro asked. I looked at him and glared. He was mocking me, I knew it. As soon as I had laid eyes on him I knew I wouldn't like him, and it was apparent he didn't care much for me either.

"I-I am ready for a fight, I was just caught a little off guard is all." I replied trying to regain my composure.

"I'm sure." Kankuro said an amused smirk crossing his face.

"Would Sutaru Sunake and Kusaittou Ebina please make their way down to the arena floor." Hayate called.

"Better get a move on shorty, with those little legs it might take you a little longer to get down those stairs." Kankuro said shooing me with his hand. I glared darkly at him one last time and then turned to head to the arena floor.

"Good luck Sutaru!"

"Yeah we'll be cheering for you!" Ayane and Kitsuchi called as I made my way down the stairs.

"No pressure or anything, but if you don't win, you'll never hear the end of it from me." Ryuunosuke-sensei added. I sighed. _Thanks so much for that_. I thought to myself sarcastically.

I took a deep breath as I reached the center of the battleground. Hayate coughed a few times and I stood waiting for my opponent to join me. I could feel myself shaking and I kept breathing in and out trying to calm myself. _Come on Sutaru, you can do this. It's just a little preliminary fight. You've been in some major fights before, so this should be simple. Remember to use genjutsu, it's your best bet_. I thought to myself trying to calm down. Then a sudden thought crossed my mind and I felt my heart sink again. How long had it been since I last meditated? I couldn't for the life of me remember. What if I went to use genjutsu but then lost control? What if I completely lost it? Went insane and then they'd have to send me to a psychiatric ward? What if I ended up like…my parents?

My shaking intensified and I had to keep breathing slowly to keep from hyperventilating. I looked up as Hayate's voice filled my ears again.

"Kusaittou Ebina? Has anyone seen him? If he doesn't come down in the next five minutes then he loses by default." Hayate called so that his voice echoed through the arena. I looked at Hayate and a small smile crossed my face. Yes, that was perfect! If this Kusaittou guy didn't show up, then I wouldn't have to fight! I could just go on my merry way without having to lift a finger. Slowly I felt my heart rise back up and my stomach calmed down. All I had to do was wait five minutes and then it would all be over.

* * *

These were probably the longest five minutes of my life. Every second seemed like a millennium. I just wanted it to be over already.

"Has anyone found Kusaittou? He only has three minutes left." Hayate called out. _Ha, excellent. As long as he doesn't show up I don't have to do anything! Come on three minutes, hurry up_! I thought to myself. I had gotten over my anxiety about the fight, now I was excited at the thought of not having to fight at all. Man why did time have to take so long?!

"Two minutes." Hayate called out.

"Hey where is this guy?" I heard Kitsuchi ask.

"Yeah I was really looking forward to seeing Sutaru fight." Ayane said looking around the arena. _Shut up guys, you're going to jinx it_. I thought to myself sending small glares towards Ayane and Kitsuchi. As I was looking up at their balcony I caught eyes with Shikamaru. He looked down at me and winked. I smiled back and put up a very shaky thumb. He smiled at me and mouthed "good luck". I mouthed back a thank you and continued to look around the arena. Once my eyes caught Kankuro and his stupid smirk. I glared at him and turned away angrily. I felt almost like a spoiled brat turning away from something disgusting, which fit in Kankuro's case.

"One minute." Hayate said his voice continuing to echo off the walls. I continued to look around the Arena. It seemed that the more I looked around the faster time went. As I looked around, however, my eyes landed on Gaara. He was staring down at me with that same placid look on his face. His sea foam green eyes looking down at me. His arms were crossed and all he really did was stare. I couldn't help but stare back. It was like we were both caught in our own staring contest that no one else knew about or understood.

Finally I looked away feeling a wave of heat rush to my face. I looked at the ground embarrassed. Why in the world did I get like this when I saw Gaara? It didn't make sense. Then again, I always got worked up when Kitsuchi mentioned anything to do with me and him so I suppose it made some sense. I glanced quickly back up at Gaara to see a small hint of emotion on his face. It looked like a mix of confusion and anxiety. But what did that mean? I wondered.

"Thirty seconds." Hayate said still staring at his watch and coughing every few seconds. _Thank God this is almost over_. I thought to myself. I was completely relieved and I had managed to calm myself down completely. Soon this would all be over and…

"Hey, sorry I'm late. This village is so damn big I got lost on my way back from the hospital." I immediately spun around to see who I assumed was Kusaittou standing in the doorway of the arena.

"Well congratulations, you're just in time." Hayate said slowly putting his watch away.

"Good to hear it. I don't know what I'd do if I missed my fight. So, where's my opponent?" Kusaittou asked.

"She's right here. Sutaru Sunake is your opponent." Hayate explained pointing to me. I watched as Kusaittou entered the arena and took his place in front of me. Kusaittou had dark purple hair that was parted in the middle and fell to either side of his face. His bangs fell just past his chin while the rest of his hair was short. His skin was tanned and his eyes were an emerald green. He was handsome, there was no denying that, but I felt my heart sink as he stood above me. He was _gigantic_! Coming from me that didn't mean a lot considering how short I was but still this guy was _huge_! He had to be at least 5'10"! He towered over me! He looked me up and down, though it was mostly down and smiled.

"Kusaittou Ebina at your service." He said putting his hand out. I took it in my own and slowly shook hands with him taking this time to see what he was wearing. Kusaittou was wearing very loose and baggy black sweat pants. The bottom of them was covered by dark gray leg warmers that he wore over his black sandals. His shirt was also dark gray with black vertical lines all through it. He had black fingerless gloves on and he wore his headband on his forehead. My heart sank deeper as I realized he was one of the ninja we attacked from Kirigakure in the second part of the chunin exams. _What are the chances that I would fight the third member, and he happened to be the biggest_? I thought to myself looking at the rippling muscles that adorned Kusaittou's body.

"Sutaru Sunake." I replied finally. Kusaittou looked at me and smiled again.

"You're pretty cute you know that?" He said. I felt my face flush.

"Um, thank you." I replied not honestly sure what to say.

"But you know, I haven't forgotten that little run-in we had in the forest. You may be small, and you may be cute, but I'm not holding anything back. You're little girlfriends up there already defeated my teammates, so now it's up to me to save Kirigakure a spot in the finals of the chunin exam." Kusaittou said a dark shadow looming over his face. I swallowed hard as the colour drained from my face. This was not going to be a pretty fight. There was no doubt in my mind that this guy was out for revenge, and no matter what it took he was going to completely crush me to get exactly what he wanted.


	17. Chapter 16: Sutaru

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Sutaru's Trouble, Rock Lee's Pain, and the **

**End of the Preliminaries!**

-Sutaru-

Kusaittou stared down at me. He smiled menacingly and I tried to keep control of my breathing. He was terrifying even without his height. Hayate looked down at me seeing the fear in my eyes, coughed and then turned to Kusaittou. He couched once more, sighed and then faced forward.

"Are you both ready?" He asked.

"Yes sir." Kusaittou said happily. I wanted to glare at him for being so god damn happy at my dismay, but I was still too busy freaking out to bother.

"Um, y-yes." I stuttered. _Come on Sutaru, you've faced harder opponents before, get a hold of yourself_! I thought to myself. I took a deep breath and managed to stop shaking.

"Go Sutaru!" Ayane called.

"Kick his ass!" Kitsuchi called after. I turned and tried to smile but my mouth refused to listen to me. I turned back. Kusaittou was still smiling happily.

"Then if both combatants are ready, you may begin!" Hayate said and jumped back. I quickly took this chance to jump back myself. Just as I was about to land on the ground Kusaittou's face met mine and he punched me in the cheek. I flew back and hit the wall. _Damn that hurt_, I thought cringing in pain. I moved my jaw to make sure it wasn't broken.

"He's fast." I muttered to myself. I stood back up and took a defensive stance.

"How did that punch feel?" He asked. I just glared at him. He laughed and ran at me again. I tried to block his punches and kicks but he was too fast. Every strike hit. I flew back after a hard kick to the stomach and rolled across the ground. I was panting heavily and blood was dripping down my face.

"Come on, is this all you have to offer?" He asked mockingly. I stayed on the ground. Maybe I should just quit. Quitting never hurt this much. I lifted my hand up to my face and stared at it. All I had to do was raise it and it would all be over, the pain would be finished and I could continue my life. I didn't really care that much about being a chunin, ranks never mattered to me much anyway. I didn't need to sit here and take this if I didn't want to.

"C-come on Sutaru! You can do it!" I heard Ayane yelling, concern clouding her voice.

"Go Sutaru, you have to win!" Kitsuchi called. Soon everyone from Konoha was cheering for me. I smiled, it was nice to know they cared. I slowly turned my head and my eyes fell on Gaara. He was staring at me, looking rather disappointed. "_If you are tired of being a coward, then stop using death as an excuse to give up_". I tensed as his voice resounded in my head. He had told me that back in the Forest of Death when I demanded he kill me because I had run away. That was the day I had promised myself I would never run away from anything again. I almost chuckled to myself. I was such an idiot. I had faced enemies worse than this guy, and here I was preparing to run away with my tail between my legs. No, not this time, this time I was going to stay and fight, just like I had promised. I smiled and felt a new found fire of determination within myself. I got back up on my feet and stared at Kusaittou. He smiled at me.

"So you have a bit of fight in you after all." He said.

"Enjoy that small taste of victory you had before, because it's not going to happen again." I said and took my defensive stance. Kusaittou smiled and ran at me. I tensed as he reached me. I once again tried to block his attacks, but he was so fast. I had never seen anything like it. What was with this guy?

He punched me and I flew back again. I was sore and bruised and we had only been fighting for three minutes. This guy was unbelievably fast and never seemed to tire. I didn't understand how he was doing it. Suddenly he stopped and smiled.

"I'm going to let you in on something before this fight goes on any longer." He said. I looked at him confused but didn't say anything.

"As I'm sure you're aware, my other teammates excelled in using weapons when they fought. As good as they were, it was not enough to defeat your teammates who clearly excel in taijutsu and ninjutsu. I, however, am different from them. Where they use weapons, I use my body. I was the topped ranked taijutsu shinobi at my academy and use my abilities to continually flow chakra throughout my body. I can force that chakra into the parts of my body I plan to use next, such as the feet or hands, so that when I punch or kick, it's harder and faster. That's also why I've been able to move faster than normal. You, Sutaru Sunake, are fighting one of the most advanced taijutsu users Kirigakure has to offer." He said smirking and pointing at himself. My face fell. As far as taijutsu and ninjutsu were concerned, I failed miserably. Yet here I was, facing a prestigious taijutsu shinobi from Kirigakure. Apparently my luck was only going to get worse the longer this battle continued.

"Don't let him scare you Sutaru!" Kitsuchi yelled.  
"Yeah, he's just saying that to freak you out, I bet he's bluffing!" Ayane added. I sighed a rolled my eyes. After all that had happened, I doubted he was bluffing.

"Shall we continue?" Kusaittou asked.

"We don't have much of a choice, unless you'd be kind enough to give up." I offered.

Kusaittou laughed. "Not a chance."

"Didn't think so." I sighed and Kusaittou ran at me again. I needed a plan, soon, or he was going to beat me senseless. I looked around for any openings or ways I could defeat him. It was then that an idea struck me. I turned and left myself wide open for a punch from Kusaittou.

"Giving up that easily? How boring!" He yelled just as he was about to reach me.

"Sutaru!" Ayane and Kitsuchi yelled.

"Look out!" I heard Shikamaru call. I ignored them and focused. I waited and made my mind go blank. _Come on_, I thought to myself. Suddenly I felt it and ducked to the side. I turned around and brought my foot up. In came in contact with Kusaittou's face and he fell back, smacking his head against the ground. I quickly jumped back and took another defensive stance. Everyone on the balconies from Konoha gasped and then cheered. Kusaittou got back up, rubbing his head and staring at me angrily.

"How, how did you dodge that attack?" He demanded.

"Like I'd tell you." I replied. I smirked. It had been very simple actually. The powers I had inherited from my clan allowed me to pick up some of the faintest of chakra essence. Kusaittou had already told me prior that he forced chakra into his hands and feet in order to move faster and hit harder. All I had to do was reach out and latch onto that chakra essence and I could easily see each and every one of his attacks before they reached me. I almost laughed at myself. It was so simple, I couldn't believe I didn't think about doing it before. Kusaittou glared at me and ran again. I smiled, too easy. I waited for each of his attacks and blocked every single one, while trying to hit him as hard as I could. Soon I had bruises on my feet and hands, just from hitting him. I was surprised at how built he was, his entire body was rock hard.

This battle was going better than expected. Soon I could see sweat coming down Kusaittou's face as he tried to exert as much strength as possible. What an idiot. I started to smile as I realized there was a chance I could actually win this. That smile quickly died as a sudden punch came at me. It landed and I flew back. I got back up and stared at Kusaittou shocked. How the hell had that punch gotten to me without my noticing? Kusaittou looked at me and chuckled at my shocked expression.

"You honestly thought it would take me long to realize what you were doing? As I'm sure you're aware, it is very difficult for a ninja to excel in all ninja arts. For example, I am skilled in taijutsu, but because of that my abilities of genjutsu tend to lack. Clearly from this fight it is clear that you yourself are lacking in the abilities of taijutsu. This means that you either excel in ninjutsu or genjutsu. All I needed to do was let you hit me a couple times before I could see that you were using your abilities in genjutsu to sense my chakra." He explained.

"How did you figure it out?" I asked.

"Easy, I could tell from the way you were concentrating that you were just looking for where the punches and kicks were coming from, however, what you failed to realize was the amount of chakra that I infused into each of my attacks. That last attack, before I hit you with that punch, had minimal chakra in it. Only a ninja skilled in chakra sensory would be able to pick it up, and you did. That immediately told me that as long as I didn't infuse my hand with chakra you wouldn't be able to pick up the punch." He replied. My eyes filled with shock and I clenched my fists. How could I have been so stupid? I was so transfixed on winning that I had allowed my enemy to use my own strength against me. I glared at Kusaittou. I had never had anyone make me feel like such a fool before.

"Come now, don't look so upset, it was a good idea at the time." Kusaittou said smiling. I just continued to glare. I could already tell that I hated this guy with every fibre of my being. Kusaittou's face fell when he realized I wasn't happy and shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose it's about time this ended." He said and ran at me again. I jumped back and tried to avoid him, but I was so irritated with myself that it was hard to concentrate on the fight. I decided for now it was just easier to run while I tried to calm down. I jumped around hoping to keep Kusaittou from getting near me again. I went to jump again just as Kusaittou appeared in front of me. He reached his hand out to hit me in the chest. I tensed and put my heel out to jump back. I managed to reach the ground and jump back, but not before Kusaittou had reached out, grabbed my shirt, and ripped the front of it. I stopped and stared at him. The cloth fell to the ground and I noticed something shining in his hand. I tensed and reached up to my chest. It was gone!

"Wow, what a pretty necklace." He said staring down at it.

"Give it back." I demanded.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Kusaittou asked putting his hand up to his ear.

"I said, give it back." I repeated coldly.

"I don't think I like your tone, say please."

"Give...it...back." I spat angrily. This guy had no idea how much that pendent meant to me. It was a pendent I had received from my parents before they had lost control of themselves. It was the last thing they gave me before I lost them to insanity. It was a pendent of a star with two snakes entwined around it. Their heads reached the top point of the star. It was the symbol of my clan, my most precious possession, and that bastard was getting his grimy hands all over it.

"I'm going to ask you, one more time, give me back, the necklace." I was almost shaking with anger. Nobody touched my necklace without my permission. Not even Ayane and Kitsuchi were allowed to touch it.

"And if I don't what are you going to do?" Kusaittou asked. I just glared at him. He was definitely asking for it. Kusaittou smiled evilly at me and before I could stop him he threw the necklace on the ground. He stomped his foot on it and twisted his foot back and forth, rubbing the necklace into the ground. I heard Ayane and Kitsuchi gasp. They knew right away what was going to happen now. Without a word, without even a breath, I snapped. I brought my hands up and made the "Sutaru Sunake" hand sign.

"Oh, that's a new one. I wonder what's going to happen." Kusaittou said mockingly. I glared darkly at him. This kid was done. I immediately set up a barrier around myself preparing to attack.

"A barrier? That's your big plan? This is a joke, give up already." He said rolling his eyes.

"The barrier isn't for me." I said coldly. Kusaittou turned back to look at me with a confused expression on his face. His face filled with shock as I disappeared using my teleportation jutsu.

"It's for you." I whispered behind him. He tensed and before he could turn around I brought my foot up and kicked him as hard as I could in the back. He flew forward towards the barrier. I quickly opened a hole so he landed inside and then closed it. I held my hands out in the shape of the barrier. Kusaittou's face filled with shock and he beat his fist against the barrier.

"Let me out!" He yelled fear and anger filling his eyes.

"Not a chance." I muttered. I then started to bring my hands slowly together. As I did the barrier began to get smaller and smaller. Kusaittou started to panic. He tried to beat his way out of the barrier but there was no way that was going to happen. I continued to make the barrier smaller. Soon Kusaittou had to lie down since the barrier was too small for him to stand.

"I give! I give up! Please don't let her crush me! I give! I give!" He screamed holding his head in fear. I ignored him and continued to make the barrier smaller.

"Sutaru!" I stopped and looked up at Ayane. She looked down at me and shook her head.

"B-but, my necklace...he deserves it." I replied.

"He's already given up Sutaru, you don't have to fight anymore, you won." Kitsuchi said. I turned to see Ryuunosuke-sensei coming towards me and Hayate trying to figure out my barrier. Ryuunosuke-sensei reached me and held up my necklace. I stared at it for a second before I released the barrier and snatched it out of Ryuunosuke-sensei's hand. I put it back around my neck and turned to Hayate. He looked over Kusaittou and turned around.

"Kusaittou Ebina has given up, Sutaru Sunake is the winner!" He called out. Cheers filled the arena. I took a deep breath. When I had calmed down I fell to my knees. I was exhausted. Ayane and Kitsuchi were quickly by my side and lifted me back to my feet.

"Are you ok?" Ayane asked concerned.

"You're really pale." Kitsuchi said putting her hand on my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just tired myself out is all." I replied. They smiled and hugged me.

"Congratulations." They whispered. I smiled and hugged them back.

"Thank you." I replied.

"Would everyone please clear the arena floor so we may begin the next match." We all turned as we heard Hayate's voice sound out. We all turned to look at him. He coughed and we sighed. Kitsuchi, Ayane and I walked towards the balcony steps. The names on the board started to run by, choosing two at random. I turned as I saw Gaara appear in the center of the arena. I stopped and looked at him. He turned and looked back at me.

I smirked. "Don't let me down." I said to him. His eyes lifted slightly, shocked at what I said. I then turned and headed back up to the balcony.

"What was that all about?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Oh nothing." I replied.

"I wonder why he's down there, they haven't even chosen the names yet." Ayane said. Before anyone could answer Shikamaru walked over.

"Hey, nice fight Sutaru." He said smirking.

"Thanks Shikamaru." I smiled. Suddenly we turned as we heard Lee and Might Guy talking to each other rather loudly.

"I guess it's finally your turn, go Lee!" Guy-sensei yelled happily pumping his fist in the air.

"No way." Lee responded. We all stared at him shocked. He had been waiting for his time to fight through all of the preliminaries. Why was this time any different?

"I've waited this long, if it were up to me, I'd rather be the final act." He responded. I shook my head, what an idiot.

"Don't keep me waiting." I turned to look at Gaara as he spoke out. He sent a rather menacing glare towards the screen and the names stopped.

"Yes, I'm safe once again!" Choji yelled happily. I heard Ayane giggle and Choji blushed.

"Since Gaara is already present, would Rock Lee please come to the center of the arena." Hayate called.

"Ok, you caught me! As soon as I said I wanted to be last, I jinxed it! It's a natural law! You can throw a stone at a pole as many times as you want and miss it every time, but the moment you aim to miss it, you hit it dead center!" Lee said enthusiastically kicking at the air. I looked as Guy-sensei leaned towards Lee and started whispering something to him. Lee nodded and started writing something down on a notebook. Guy-sensei shook his head.

"All right, go get 'em Lee!" Guy-sensei said happily.

"Yes sir!" Lee replied and jumped over the balcony rail. Lee landed in front of Gaara and they stared at each other.

"Facing you so soon, makes me very happy." Lee said smiling. Gaara just continued to stare at Lee, completely unimpressed. I could feel my heart race, this was getting more exciting every minute. Ever since I had met Lee I hadn't taken a great liking to him, so secretly I wanted him to lose. I was, however, more interested in seeing what Gaara could do.

"I don't know what kind of tricks this bowl-cut kid has up his sleeve, but there's no way he's going to win against Gaara." Kankuro suddenly said. I looked at him and he threw me a dark glare.

"No, he's stronger than you think." Naruto said ignoring the exchange between Kankuro and myself. I turned back to the fight. Suddenly Lee tensed and snatched something out of the air.

"Let's not rush things." Lee said holding the cork that had once been covering the top of Gaara's gourd. Gaara's glare darkened.

"If both combatants are ready, you may begin!" Hayate said and jumped back. Lee didn't waste any more time and quickly jumped at Gaara. He brought his foot up to land a kick.

"Konoha Hurricane!" He yelled. I watched waiting to see what Gaara would do to defend himself. Suddenly, sand rushed out of his gourd and flew in front on him to block the kick. I was shocked. That giant gourd was filled with sand! Gaara looked at Lee's shocked face and the sand rushed out and hit Lee back. Lee flew across the arena. He landed on his feet. He immediately jumped back at Gaara. Lee attempted to punch Gaara and then kick him, but no matter what he did Gaara's sand moved and protected him.

"How is he doing that? He's not even moving." Ayane said shocked.

"Fast as he is, this is getting Lee nowhere." Sakura stated staring down at the fight.

"His attacks just aren't working." Naruto agreed.

"Physical attacks are completely worthless against Gaara. Whenever someone attacks him, that sand shield protects him independent of his will. That's why to this day, not a single person has ever wounded Gaara." Kankuro suddenly chimed in. He was staring intently at the fight.

"Worried about something?" I asked.

"It's none of your business." He spat without turning to look at me. I glared at him.

"Why is Lee only using taijutsu? It's painful and clearly useless to keep using taijutsu against that sand shield, so why isn't he using ninjutsu to attack at least from a distance?" Sakura asked.

"It's not that he won't use ninjutsu, it's that he can't." Guy-sensei said smiling.

"What?" Kitsuchi asked shocked.

"Lee has practically no ninjutsu or genjutsu abilities." Guy-sensei-explained.

"What? How has he lasted so long?" Sakura asked completely taken aback.

"When I first met Lee, he had absolutely no sense and no talent or ability whatsoever. That's why the only abilities he was able to train were his taijutsu skills. There aren't many ninja who can use neither genjutsu nor ninjutsu." Guy-sensei continued. We all turned and watched as more of Lee's attacks were blocked. Lee dodged another thrust from Gaara's sand and jumped up to the tip of the fingers of the large statue in the arena.

"Then how is he going to win?" Ayane asked.

"Isn't it obvious? He can't." I said shrugging my shoulders.

"The fact that Lee can only use taijutsu, is actually the reason why he _can_ win." Guy-sensei said throwing me a dark look. He then turned back and put his thumb in the air.

"Lee, take them off!" He yelled. Lee turned and looked at Guy-sensei confused.

"But Guy-sensei, you told me to never take them off unless I was protecting someone precious to me!" Lee responded saluting.

"It's all right, this time I'll allow it!" Guy-sensei smiled giving Lee the thumbs up. Lee smiled brightly and sat down. He pulled off the orange leg warmers from around his shins to reveal two leg weights around each shin.

"Weights?" Sakura asked confused.

"That's what's going to save him? A couple of weights?" Kitsuchi asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Right, now I can move freely!" Lee said happily. He let go of the weights. Everyone's faces filled with shock as the weights hit the ground. As soon as they came in contact with the concrete, there was a loud _kaboom_! and smoke rose into the air.

"H-how heavy were those weights?" Ayane asked pointing to the smoke.  
"I think that's taking weight training to a whole new level." Kitsuchi said her face falling.  
"Hmm, interesting idea, I should get you guys to try it." Ryuunosuke-sensei suddenly said. We all turned to him our faces falling.

"Calm down, I was kidding." He said sighing. We all sighed in relief and turned back to the fight. Lee smiled and jumped off of the statue. He landed behind Gaara. He lifted himself up to punch.

"Whoa, he's faster than the guy you fought Sutaru." Ayane gasped. I nodded. This Lee kid was only an inch from punching Gaara in the face. His speed was extraordinary. We all gasped as every punch and kick came so close to reaching Gaara.

"Because Lee had no aptitude for either genjutsu or ninjutsu he devoted his life to taijutsu. All his time, all his energy, and all his devotion. This way, even if he lacked other abilities he'd be unbeatable as a taijutsu specialist." Guy-sensei explained admiring his student's ability. Suddenly Lee jumped into a front tuck above Gaara. He spun around with immense speed and brought his foot down. Finally Lee made contact and had kicked Gaara in the head. Everyone's faces filled with shock, especially Temari and Kankuro's. Gaara flinched and lifted himself back up, staring at Lee. He had a small cut along his right cheek.

"In terms of speed, Lee cannot be surpassed. I figure it necessary to warn you, that boy, is very strong." Guy-sensei said, his face beaming.

"Well here we go." Lee said smiling. He took a fighting stance and the entire arena was silent.

"Busy brows has gotten even faster." Naruto said.

"No way..." Kankuro breathed.

"Got get him Lee!" Guy-sensei yelled pumping his fist in the air.

"Yes sir!" Lee called back. Suddenly Lee disappeared. Garra tensed and turned around, his sand shield beginning to build.

"Over here." Within an instant Lee was in front of Gaara. He brought his fist up and punched Gaara in the face. Gaara flew forward and landed on the ground.

"Lee's so fast! The sand shield couldn't keep up with him, it was practically useless!" Sakura exclaimed happily.

"W-wow, his moves are so fast I can't even keep track of him." Choji said swallowing hard.

"I've never seen anyone move this fast before, it's amazing." Ayane's eyes were beaming.

"Tell me about it." Kitsuchi agreed.

"This is bad..." We all turned to look at Kankuro.

"You got that right! After a punch like that, that racoon-eyed jerk shouldn't even be standing!" Naruto said smiling happily.

"That's not the problem." Kankuro said.

"What?" We all turned back as Lee shouted out. Our faces filled with shock as pieces of Gaara's face shattered and fell apart. Underneath the sand that covered him was a hideous smile. It sent shivers down my spine and I swallowed trying to calm myself down. Something was wrong.

"Whoa, his whole face just broke off!" Naruto said shocked.

"If this Gaara is able to catch Lee, Lee will be played with and then killed." Kankuro said. I looked over at him. He was shaking slightly and his face was filled with fear. Something really was wrong, especially to have such a cocky guy like Kankuro this freaked out. I looked back as sand started to surround Gaara again. As the sand covered his face and body, his smile began to fade until he was back to his original self. I felt relieved. I much preferred the glaring Gaara to, whatever he just was.

"I don't like this anymore." Kitsuchi suddenly said holding her hand to her chest. She was shaking and looked just as scared as everyone else was.

"Kitsuchi are you ok?" Ayane asked.

"No, no I'm not, something here is really wrong and I don't like it." She replied.

"Hey, is that some way of protecting himself?" Naruto suddenly blurted out.

"It's sand armour." Kankuro replied.

"Armour?" Naruto asked confused.

"Yes, Gaara can manipulate the sand to cover his body by controlling it through the force of his own will. It differs from the sand shield, where the grains of sand immediately form a wall to protect him. The sand armour is Gaara's ultimate defence." Kankuro explained.

"Then there's nothing Lee can do, that sand armour has no weaknesses." Naruto muttered. I looked down at Gaara. I had a feeling from the beginning there was no way Lee could win this. Gaara was too powerful. Perhaps if he had any skills with genjutsu or ninjutsu he might have a better chance. Just taijutsu, however, was not going to be enough.

"Is that all?" Gaara asked suddenly. His cold, monotone voice sent shivers up my spine. Lee turned and looked up at Guy-sensei. Guy-sensei nodded and Lee smiled. He began to loosen the bandages around his arms.

"I wonder what he's planning." Ayane thought out loud.

"I'm sure it'll be interesting to see how he gets out of this one." I stated. Lee then began to run circles around Gaara as quickly as he could.

"Come on, hurry up." Gaara said getting impatient.

"As you wish!" Lee yelled. He ran up to Gaara and kicked him into the air.

"And that's not all!" Lee continued to yell as he kicked Gaara higher and higher into the air. Guy-sensei put his hands together in prayer and I tensed as I felt a shift in Gaara's chakra. I narrowed my eyes. Gaara had done something. Lee continued his attack, wrapping bandages all around Gaara's body. He then grabbed Gaara and flipped back, pulling Gaara straight down. He crashed Gaara's body into the floor below and jumped out of the way. I stared at Gaara. The impact had left a giant hole with Gaara lying in the middle of it.

"D-do you think he's dead?" Naruto asked.

"There's no way... You've gotta be kidding..." Kankuro said shocked.

"Lee, he did it! He won!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yes!" Guy-sensei smiled brightly.

"Was that really it? I thought this Gaara kid was supposed to be some amazing shinobi, he didn't put up much of a fight." Kitsuchi scoffed.

"It's not over yet." I said.

"Sutaru's right." Ayane agreed standing beside me, glaring down at Gaara.  
"What are you two talking about? I don't get it!" Kitsuchi said staring down at Gaara. Suddenly Gaara's face began to crack and shatter. Everyone gasped when Gaara's face suddenly fell in on itself, revealing not Gaara, but a shell of sand.

"When did he slip out of that shell? There's no way he could have gotten past Lee!" Guy-sensei exclaimed angrily.

"It was when you closed your eyes in prayer for Lee. He paused for a brief moment because he was in pain, and that was when Gaara slipped out of his shell." Kakashi-sensei explained. _Nice move_, I thought to myself. Suddenly Lee tensed as Gaara emerged from a pile of sand. Gaara put his hands together in the tora hand sign and smiled wickedly. Huge waves of sand flew at Lee. The sand hit Lee before he had a chance to avoid it and flew into a wall. The sand then continued to attack Lee and he all he could do was put his hands up in front of his face for protection. By the time the sand had finished attacking Lee there was a large dent in the wall behind him. I was surprised he was even still standing.

Lee was panting. He was completely exhausted. I doubted he could last much longer in this fight. Gaara smiled and licked his lips. I could tell he was just playing with Lee, like a cat played with a mouse. It was only a matter of time until the cat finally won out.

"If he was so fast before why doesn't he move?" Kitsuchi demanded.

"I don't get why he doesn't just duck out of the way." Sakura added.

"It's because, the Lotus technique he just used is a double-edged sword." Guy-sensei suddenly said.

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Fundamentally, the Lotus technique is a forbidden move. Using that level of high-speed taijutsu puts major strain on the body. Lee is now nothing more than a mass of pain and weakness, right Guy?" Kakashi explained.

"But then, that means, at this rate..." Sakura stammered. Lee dodged another attack from the sand but just barely.

"That means that Lee is going to die." I finished for her. Everyone stared at me shocked that I would even consider saying it. I ignored them. My knuckles were turning white from grasping the rail on the balcony too hard. Gaara was dangerous and he terrified me, yet at the same time I couldn't help but be interested in him. This fight was becoming more and more exciting as it continued.

"Lee, give up before he kills you!" Sakura screamed. Another attack from the sand was sent at Lee. Everyone gasped as he avoided it with the same speed he had been using in the beginning. Lee slowly stood back up and smiled.

"Lee is being pushed around so brutally, what is he smiling about?" Sakura asked.

"He's smiling because he's about to start pushing back." Guy-sensei replied smiling.

"Huh?" She asked confused.

"The lotus of Konoha, will always bloom twice." Guy-sensei said. Lee and Gaara were standing facing one another, neither of them moving.

"The fight for you ends here." Gaara said.

"One way or the other, the next move will be the last." Lee replied smiling. Suddenly Kakashi tensed and turned to Guy-sensei.

"Guy, don't tell me you...!" He exclaimed.

"On the contrary, I did." Guy-sensei replied suddenly turning very serious. Kakashi-sensei stared at Guy-sensei, his eyes narrowing into a sceptical glare.

"Then that kid, who's just a genin, can open the eight inner gates?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

"Yes, that's right." Guy-sensei replied.

"He can what?" Ayane suddenly called out shocked.

"Kichiku, you know what the eight inner gates are?" Ryuunosuke-sensei asked even more surprised she knew what they were talking about.

"Well I don't know much, they were mentioned briefly to me when I was younger. The most I know is that it's very dangerous and should only be attempted by very strong taijutsu masters. The fact that Lee knows it is..." Ayane trailed off.

"Ridiculous, there's no way a kid like that should have learned how to do it." Ryuunosuke-sensei said glaring at Guy-sensei.

"He has the talent..." Guy-sensei began.

"No matter how much talent he has, he shouldn't have learned something so horribly dangerous! The Reverse Lotus tops the lists of moves that you should not teach! It's none of my business what that child means to you, and I'll spare us both the lectures on not being governed by your emotions, but you're crossing the line! You disappoint me Guy." Kakashi scolded angrily. I was shocked. I had never seen Kakashi-sensei so passionate about something before. Was this "Reverse Lotus" really that bad?

"You don't know the first thing about that kid." Guy-sensei replied glaring angrily at Kakashi-sensei. The air surrounding the balcony had suddenly become tense. This argument was heading into very personal territory for those involved.

"That boy has something he values so deeply that he is willing to die for the sake of it. That's why I wanted to help him become someone who could stand up for their ideals. I had to." Guy-sensei explained.

"So, tell me then, which of the gates has he opened up to so far?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

"The fifth gate." Guy-sensei replied. Kakashi-sensei's face filled with shock. Apparently the fact Lee had managed to get up to the fifth gate opened was something to be impressed about.  
"Wow, that Lee guy is amazing." Ayane said staring down at him.

"Wait, I still don't get what's so impressive." Kitsuchi said looking annoyed.

"I really don't understand it either." I added shrugging my shoulders.

"Allow me to fill you in my precious students." Ryunnosuke-sensei said taking a step forward from the wall.

"Ryunnosuke-sensei you know about it?" Kitsuchi asked shocked. Ryuunosuke-sensei glared at her for asking such an obvious question.

"Of course I do, now shut up and listen. At eight specific points along the Keirakukei, the network of chakra lines throughout the body, there are places where the chakra nodes converge." He started to explain.

"Those are the eight gates. Kaimon, the gate of opening, Kyumon, the gate of rest, Seimon, the gate of life, Shomon, the gate of pain, Tomon, the gate of closing, Keimon, the gate of joy, Kyomon, the gate of shock, and finally Shimon, the gate of death." Ayane said smiling.

"Well, looks like someone's done their homework. Anyway, these gates act as limiters and constantly keep a limit on the amount of chakra that flows throughout the body. That boy down there, Lee, used the Lotus technique which allowed him to override the limiters unleashing a strength dozens of times larger than his own. As impressive as this is, it also comes with its own flaws. For example, someone who uses the Lotus technique can ultimately destroy their own body in the process. In the fight so far, that boy has only opened the first gate, Kaimon." Ryunnosuke-sensei finished.

"Then, in order to use this 'Reverse Lotus' technique, he needs to open...?" I trailed off.

"Kaimon frees the user from mental inhibitions, Kyumon boosts strength, and then with the third gate, Seimon, one can gain the power to use the Reverse Lotus." Ryuunosuke-sensei replied.

"Using the Lotus on its own put him through so much pain though, so if he opens anymore gates and uses anymore techniques then he's going to die." I stated bluntly.

"Exactly right. This is why the moves are considered forbidden. Though formidable and incredibly strong, to continuously use the Lotus techniques will only lead to death. Guy is playing a very dangerous game with his student." Ryuunosuke-sensei sighed crossing his arms. Ayane, Kitsuchi and I looked at each other and turned back to the fight. Lee had crossed his arms in front of his face and seemed to be focusing. Suddenly waves of chakra started to emit from his body.

"Third gate Seimon, release!" He yelled. We all gasped. Lee's skin turned red and the veins around his face were sticking up. He then bent down and even more power circled his body.

"He released the fourth gate, I'm impressed." Ryuunosuke-sensei said. We ignored him and kept our eyes fixed on Lee. Blood was starting to drip from his nose. He was putting major strain on his body. Lee then stood up and in a flash of power he ran at Gaara leaving a line of destruction behind him. Ayane, Kitsuchi and I held onto the rail of the balcony to keep from being blown back by the sheer power coming from Lee. Small rocks flew at us and cut our faces and arms.

"He's so fast!" Ayane yelled over the noise.

"And powerful, this is insane!" Kitsuchi said shaking her head. Suddenly Gaara flew up into the air.

"Where did Lee go?" Ayane asked looking around. Before we could find him Gaara was suddenly being hit back and forth in the air by some unknown force.

"Is that Lee doing that?" Kitsuchi asked shocked.

"It has to be, I can't believe how fast he is, I can't see him at all." Ayane said trying to follow the movements. I stared at Gaara. His sand armour was starting to come off and he was being hit too quickly for the sand to keep up. I couldn't believe it. Gaara was losing! Suddenly Lee stopped so we could all see.

"This is the end!" He yelled as another blast of power came from him.

"He opened the fifth gate!" Ayane gasped. Lee pushed himself towards Gaara and body checked him in midair. Gaara flew towards the ground, but Lee wasn't finished yet. He threw his bandage at Gaara and it wrapped itself around the band Gaara used to hold the gourd on his back. He pulled Gaara back up and with both his palm and foot, smashed Gaara as hard as he could back towards the ground. It was an amazing hit.

Lee fell to the ground, obviously in a lot of pain. Gaara hit the ground and I gasped when I saw that the gourd too, was made of sand.

"He used the sand from the gourd to cushion his fall..." Ayane said staring down at the two shinobi. Using his remaining strength Gaara lifted his arm and pointed it at Lee. My eyes grew wide. I knew that skill, he had attempted to use it on me before. I watched as the sand crept towards Lee. Lee looked at the sand and attempted to get away, but he was in too much pain to move. The sand wrapped itself around his left arm and leg. Lee tried desperately to get away but there was no point. Gaara closed his hand and a sickening crack filled the arena as he shattered Lee's arm and leg. Lee fell to the ground and Gaara sent another wave of sand to finish Lee off. I held my breath. Suddenly the sand stopped and dissipated, revealing Guy-sensei standing in front of Lee protectively. He glared at Gaara. Gaara stared at him and suddenly cringed holding his head.

"Why are you...helping him?" Gaara asked shaking.

"Because, he's my lovable protégé." Guy-sensei replied. Gaara stared at Guy-sensei and turned around.

"Forget it." He said his gourd reforming on his back.

"Gaara is the winner." Hayate announced. We all stared in shock as Lee suddenly stood up.

"How can he even be moving?" Ayane asked shocked. Guy-sensei began to cry and wrapped his arms around Lee. I sighed and looked at Gaara. Without thinking I jumped off the balcony. Gaara was glaring at Guy-sensei. His attention then shifted to me as I slowly approached him. I stopped when he looked at me.

"What do you want?" He asked with a dark glare on his face.

"Um, well I, uh..." I stammered. I wasn't sure if I couldn't talk to him because I was scared or nervous.  
"If you have nothing to say, don't waste my time." He said and turned to leave.  
"Wait!" I called. He turned back around. I looked at him and managed a slight smile.

"Congratulations on winning, it was a good fight." I said. Gaara's face filled with shock and he cringed in pain. He grabbed his head and started to shake.

"Hey, are you ok?" I asked reaching my hand out.

"Don't touch me!" He yelled. I pulled my hand back and stood still unsure what to do. Gaara looked up and stared at me. I stared back and slowly he settled down. He stared at me for a moment more and then in a swirl of sand teleported back to the balcony he was on. I took a deep breath and headed back up to my balcony. Apparently I had missed something because nothing but melancholy filled the air.  
"What happened?" I asked.

"The medic ninja just looked over Lee." Kitsuchi replied sadly.

"And?" I prompted still not understanding.

"They say Lee will never be able to be a shonobi again." Ayane replied and sighed. My eyes grew wide and I stared down as the medics took Lee out on a stretcher. I didn't much care for him, but still, to lose everything in a single fight was horrible. I looked at Gaara and my face fell. _Oh Gaara, what have you done_...

-Ayane-

"Sutaru, are you ok?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm just fine. That's too bad about Lee." She said snapping back into reality.

"Yeah, by the way, what was with you jumping down to Gaara like that?" Kitsuchi asked smirking.

"What are you talking about?" Sutaru asked shocked.

"Ok, no playing dumb this time, you _leapt_ off this balcony to go see him, so what happened?" Kitsuchi asked demanding details.

"Nothing happened." Sutaru said sighing.

"Oh come on, something must have happened!" Kitsuchi demanded poking Sutaru.

"I said nothing happened Kitsuchi, just drop it." Sutaru said coolly.

"Oh, ok, sorry I asked..." Kitsuchi replied taken aback at Sutaru's tone.

"Now we can begin the final match of the preliminary round." We all turned as Hayate called out to the arena.

"Looks like it's finally your other boyfriend's turn." Kitsuchi said winking at me.

"He's not my _boyfriend_, he's just a friend." I defended.

"Uh huh, sure he is." Kitsuchi said smirking. I rolled my eyes and ignored her as Choji stepped out into the arena. I glared at his opponent. It was the sound ninja that was working for Orochimaru.

"I hope Choji wipes the floor with him." I muttered to myself angrily.

"Go get him!" Shikamaru called.

"You can do it fatso!" Ino called.

"Shut up Ino! I'm gonna end this fast and then beat you up!" Choji called getting angry.

"Go Choji, you can beat him! Good luck!" I called happily. Choji turned to me and blushed. I smiled. Choji was so cute.

"I'll skip the games then and finish you quickly, fatso." The sound ninja said. Choji glared at him.

"Well, I guess you can begin then." Hayate said and moved out of the way. Choji quickly used his Human Boulder jutsu and hid his head, legs and arms.

"All right Choji, crush him!" Ino yelled.

"Go Choji go!" I called.

"Why do I have a feeling this match is going to be a waste of time?" Kitsuchi asked.

"Because it's Choji." Sutaru replied.

"Hey, come on guys, don't be so harsh, he's trying his best." I said trying to support Choji. They both just shrugged their shoulders and began to talk to each other. I sighed and turned back to the fight. Choji rolled at the sound ninja and he dodged every attack. In a final effort to crush his opponent, Choji rolled full scale at him. The sound ninja jumped in the air causing Choji to roll into a wall. The sound ninja then fell and landed on top of Choji. He then blasted sound waves into Choji, causing him to faint. My face fell.

"Poor Choji..." I whispered.

"Saw that one coming." Kitsuchi said shrugging.

"We have a winner, Dosu Kinuta!" Hayate called. I looked at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. We all stretched and smiled.

"With the end of that match I now announce the end of the chunin exam preliminaries!" Hayate yelled. Sutaru, Kitsuchi and I looked at each other and smiled.

"Well that was fun." Kitsuchi said.

"At least it's over." Sutaru said sighing.

"Well congratulations girls, you made it through the preliminaries, I didn't think it was possible." Ryuunosuke-sensei said walking over to us.

"Thanks a lot sensei." Kitsuchi replied sarcastically. Our faces filled with shock as Ryuunosuke-sensei smiled.

"In all seriousness, I'm very proud of you, I didn't think I would get students who could make me as proud as you have. Good work girls, you deserve it." He said. We all stared at him, looked at each other, and leapt at Ryuunosuke-sensei. We hugged him as tightly as we could.

"Thank you Ryuunosuke-sensei!" We all said happily. Ryuunosuke-sensei looked over as he noticed Kakashi-sensei looking at him. He blushed and lightly pushed us off. We all smiled.

"Would the contestants that won their matches please come down to the arena floor." Hayate suddenly said. We all looked at Ryuunosuke-sensei. He smiled and put his hand out to the side, gesturing us to head down the balcony stairs. We smiled brightly at him and headed for the stairs.

"Just a quick word of warning." Ryuunosuke-sensei suddenly said. We turned and looked at him.

"All your trials and tribulations are only going to get more difficult from here on out." He said. I looked at Kitsuchi and Sutaru. They both smiled at me and I smiled at Ryuunosuke-sensei.

"Don't worry Ryuunosuke-sensei, I have a feeling we'll be just fine."


End file.
